Capital MP urges banks to use influence to help oust Mugabe

Published on Monday 23 June 2008 14:44

LEADING Scottish banks are being urged to help oust Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe, by putting pressure on the firm that prints the country's banknotes.

Edinburgh South MP Nigel Griffiths is writing to Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBoS) and the Royal Bank of Scotland, calling on them to withdraw their business from the Germany's Giesecke and Devrient.

The former Trade and Industry Minister claimed such a move could hasten the end of President Mugabe's regime.

The UN Security Council is expected to meet later today to discuss the current situation in Zimbabwe.

Yesterday, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai announced he was withdrawing from the presidential run-off election because of the brutality and intimidation from the government.

Mr Griffiths said that Giesecke and Devrient printed notes for both HBoS and RBS, as well as for Zimbabwe.

And he argued that if major customers put pressure on the company, that could persuade the firm to stop doing business with the Zimbabwean regime.

Mr Griffiths said he was writing to Sir Fred Goodwin, the chief executive of RBS and HBoS chief executive Andy Hornby, as well as Allan Leighton, the chairman of the Royal Mail – another Giesecke and Devrient customer.

He said: "By threatening to withdraw business, these three organisations will send a powerful message and hopefully persuade Giesecke and Devrient to stop its supplies.

"This will leave Mugabe with very few options and could well hasten the end of his brutal dictatorship."