Ep5 | Plausible Deniability

Bear Hunt

The episode follows an intelligence investigation into Alma Ltd, a corporate entity registered in Grand Cayman linked to the deceased billionair

Key takeaways

• Alma Ltd is a Cayman Islands entity with a discontinued directorship following the death of Pilgrim Moore.
• The beneficial owner of Alma Ltd remains unlisted and shielded behind a discretionary trust managed by Island Fiduciaries Limited.
• Thomas 'Duffy' MacDuff, an ex-Special Forces operative dismissed by the MOD, is identified as a primary threat.
• Intelligence suggests a plot to eliminate 'Tiberius,' who is revealed to be the President of Russia.
• The investigation links seized assets at 32 Belgrave Square to complex political maneuvering between UK and Russian interests.

Main topics

• Corporate shell companies
• Intelligence gathering
• Political assassination plots

Notable quotes

The beneficial owner is the person behind the structure of said company.

Conclusion

A tense exploration of how corporate opacity and rogue actors can conv

Transcript preview

Speaker 7 (0:00) This series contains strong language and violence. It is fiction. Resemblance to reality is coincidental. This is Bear Hunt. Congo militia? How many? 100 days Speaker 8 (0:26) since the rupture Speaker 2 (0:27) in British politics that was your election victory. Wow, 100 days. Council for Order, Resilience and Enterprise. So, Argentina, United States, Russia, Turkey, Hungary, Indonesia, Britain. Adi said to me, Adi Ezekiewe, you chief of staff. We just got off talk with the Russians. Speaker 4 (0:47) They're looking at second tier sanctions and they would like those removed. Speaker 3 (0:54) Seized assets. Alexei Prushev, Russian billionaire. Bogosian ally found dead. Jammed. 2024. Prutsef London Residence 32 Belgrave Square 32 Speaker 7 (1:10) Belgrave Square ACS logged up straight up for Moose This is Yan Li from Shanghai's Military Directions Programme Hi Speaker 1 (1:19) there Hello Actually that cargo that has pushed the MV steadfast to... So, Speaker 7 (1:25) eh, most explosive goes first, is it? Speaker 2 (1:29) So what? They go after Pilgrim. He'll be dead by the time they track him down. Speaker 3 (1:34) You're right about that, because he died last night. The Speaker 2 (1:37) social data crawler bar has been looking for Belgrave Square mentions and markers. And who is that in the picture? Alex Kernaway. Speaker 3 (1:44) On election night, outside 32 Belgrave Square. I should head Speaker 1 (1:49) back to my Ealing box. We Speaker 2 (1:51) raided his flat. His Fulham flat, Alex. It was Tiberius. Is that an agent? An operative? Speaker 7 (2:26) Traffic separation scheme still in works ahead. Eastbound lane. That's the one for us apparently. Confirm that the engine room is aware. Confirm. Course 108 steady. Hold her there. Right, report is with UKMTO. Southbound tanker crossing. CPA on that? He's not. He's not. Just stationed. Place is a fucking mess. Visibility good. Iranian coast bearing portside, Kishim Island. Check, now they see it. Keep those fishing vessels plotted, fuck off all the others, every ship in the world is clogged into this fucking place. Fast contact starboard on plotted vessel. Range? Half mile, small craft. Another one portside, wonderful. Sir... Fuck, his ship right! Impact, impact! Explosion or what? Speaker 7 (3:33) Report! Report now! Cargo pressure! Engine still answering! What the fuck an engine, Hughsy? Cargo pressure now! They are! Check the bridge cameras for any signs of fire. It didn't hit! Literally, it didn't hit a thing! No, that was below. That was a mine. Shit! Cults! Fucking Iranians! I'm not talking about the Iranians! Call the global office right now! Speaker 6 (4:09) It's not me saying it, Tobias. It's the school saying it. Oh, thanks, Mum, for getting me new shoes. I think it's what you mean to say. Speaker 3 (4:19) Belle! Belle! Speaker 6 (4:23) Hello. Speaker 3 (4:24) Adiazakiwe. Of Speaker 6 (4:25) course you are. Mel Murray. Hi Speaker 3 (4:28) boys. Speaker 6 (4:28) These are my sons, Tobias and Luke. Speaker 3 (4:31) Alright. Where did you get that cup? Speaker 6 (4:34) JD. Speaker 3 (4:35) The one in here? Speaker 6 (4:36) Erm, I think so. Was it? Yeah, it was, yeah. Speaker 3 (4:41) I know him, you know. Speaker 6 (4:42) Do you actually? Speaker 3 (4:43) Yeah. Went backstage at Glastow with him too. Speaker 6 (4:47) Wow. Wow? Speaker 3 (4:49) Wow. I agree. Wow. We were on a podcast together, me and him, a couple of months ago. You know Defiance Pod? Yeah, that. Episode will be out soon, I reckon. It's a proper sound guy. Speaker 6 (5:03) Uh-huh. Sounds good, doesn't it, Luke? Speaker 3 (5:06) Wicked. Listen, I'm just going to speak to your mum real quick. Boring work stuff. Not cool from me on a weekend. I know. Speaker 6 (5:15) It's okay. Do you want to just wait in the... Yeah, yeah, just in that shop. Great. Just two seconds. Luke, just watching Tobias, please. Everything alright? Speaker 3 (5:28) Busy, busy. Speaker 6 (5:29) Yes, yeah, you look it. Speaker 3 (5:31) Just questions. Speaker 6 (5:33) Questions? Speaker 3 (5:34) Yeah. Speaker 6 (5:35) National security questions in a Westfield in East London? NSC meets on Tuesday? Speaker 3 (5:44) Well, I was going to start with more like broader life questions. Speaker 6 (5:51) Okay. Speaker 3 (5:54) Are you playing the SIS? Like, stringing this offer along for any reason? Am Speaker 6 (6:00) I playing the secret intelligence service? Speaker 3 (6:03) Yeah. Are you? Speaker 6 (6:06) Sorry, what? You Speaker 3 (6:08) worked your way up, hit your prime, got the temporary role. You're not even trying for the permanent. They offered it and... nothing. I just can't compute that. Speaker 6 (6:24) Right, these really are personal questions. Do you have kids? Speaker 3 (6:31) No, thank you. Speaker 6 (6:32) Right. Well, both my husband and I have very demanding jobs and our youngest is sort of... Well, it doesn't matter, but... Speaker 3 (6:43) So I'd heard that. But James Murray is a history professor. Am I right in that? Speaker 6 (6:49) My husband is the CEO of England Heritage. OK. Speaker 3 (6:52) Let's call that a demanding job if you want, yeah? But you, you are acting director of MI6. That ain't a job, Mel. That's an office of state, yeah? That's the pressure point of our national security. Speaker 6 (7:13) Anything else, Addy? Speaker 3 (7:16) Yeah. Speaker 6 (7:17) Come on then, I'm all ears. Speaker 3 (7:19) Who's Tiberius? Speaker 3 (7:24) Look at you. Thinking. Speaker 6 (7:26) Do you want me to answer or not? Speaker 3 (7:29) I've got this little triumvirate that ain't making a lot of sense to me right now. Speaker 6 (7:34) Okay. Who's that? Speaker 3 (7:35) Sir Pilgrim Moore, Alex Kernaway and you. Speaker 6 (7:41) And me? Speaker 3 (7:43) Everyone in it got some suspicious shit going on and I'm missing a 20 million quid asset. So who's Tiberius? Speaker 6 (7:51) That's a code name, I assume. You Speaker 3 (7:54) tell me. Speaker 3 (7:56) Always a good sign when the intelligence chief shrugs. Great. Outstanding effort. Well, I don't know what you're talking about, Addy. And Speaker 6 (8:04) I don't think you do either. Speaker 3 (8:06) Kernaway? Friend of yours. Sir Pilgrim? Friend of his. Who's Tiberius? Speaker 6 (8:17) I am not familiar with Tiberius. Thank you for drawing my attention to it. I can dig, all right? Is that acceptable? Speaker 3 (8:28) Mel, you've got a decent record. I spoke to a couple of people about you. Not a bad word, right? Speaker 6 (8:34) You know you can't fire me, yeah? Someone explained how our country works to you, yeah? I know. Speaker 3 (8:39) I can't fire you. I Speaker 6 (8:42) know Speaker 3 (8:42) that. Speaker 6 (8:43) Okay, great. Can I get back to shopping with my kids now? But Speaker 3 (8:46) if you need to take an oath and have a fucking camera in your face in a courtroom to tell me the truth, then that's a bad reflection of Speaker 6 (8:54) your character. Speaker 3 (8:54) Sorry, can you get Speaker 6 (8:54) out my face, please? What the fuck is wrong with you? You're Speaker 3 (8:57) Kernaway's friend. Oh, but it's Speaker 6 (8:58) illegal to be friends with Alex Kernaway under Miriam Brann, is Speaker 3 (9:01) it? Speaker 6 (9:01) You Speaker 3 (9:01) cook Speaker 6 (9:01) something Speaker 3 (9:02) up for Belgrove Square. Plane goes down. Alma gets set up and shady shit. starts happening and now I've got loose ends. Oh, Speaker 6 (9:11) ask Speaker 3 (9:11) your Speaker 6 (9:11) mates in Russia how the plane went down. It's about that, innit? Ask them, Addy. It's that Speaker 3 (9:15) same shit. And what Speaker 6 (9:16) truth? Yeah, fucking annoying how stubborn that can be, innit? Fucking treacherous bitch. Yeah, fuck off, you fucking gym rat yob. I can't believe she put you in that place. You should be the fucking apprentice. If that, Addy. If that! I'm alright, love. I'm alright. Uh, shoes. Speaker 6 (9:42) Shoes, shoes, shoes. Come on. Speaker 2 (9:46) Yes? Speaker 8 (9:48) Chancellor for you. Speaker 2 (9:49) Yeah. Send him in. Speaker 5 (9:55) Prime Minister? Morning, Speaker 2 (9:57) Hugh. Speaker 5 (9:58) Everything all right? Speaker 2 (9:59) I just got off the phone with the Premier of the Cayman Islands. Ah. Prickly customer. We have potentially sensitive financial exposure. On Grand Cayman? A... this corporate entity. Alma. Alma Limited. Registered on Grand Cayman. Director Pilgrim Moore. That directorship ceased a little over a fortnight ago. Speaker 5 (10:26) He discontinued as director? Speaker 2 (10:29) He died. Speaker 5 (10:31) Understood. Speaker 2 (10:32) The Premier of our much-beloved autonomous overseas territory will not disclose the beneficial owner of Alma. Speaker 5 (10:41) Okay. What Speaker 2 (10:42) does that... What does that mean, Hugh? Speaker 5 (10:47) The beneficial owner. So the legal owner is the name on the paperwork, the nominee director. Pilgrim Moore. Yeah. So then the beneficial owner is the person behind the structure of said company. Ultimately, they control more than a specified percentage of shares. And Speaker 2 (11:05) this person receives the economic benefit of Alma and its holdings. Indeed. Look at this. Speaker 5 (11:18) Here's the discontinued direct due to death. He set the company up. He restructured it and he authorised the installation of a beneficiary owner. It was then a rather typical corporate framework. It seems to be owned by Cayman Islands Holding Company and a discretionary trust. The trustee is Island Fiduciaries Limited. Beneficiaries equals one. Private individual. Unlisted. You can ask... I have