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Mandela's Manx millions?

Free legs of Manndela

Nelson Mandela is among the increasingly unlikely list of names tied up with the Isle of Man in the Paradise Papers.

The massive data leak has revealed evidence of a Manx trust fund set up in the late South African leader's name - as Alex Bell reports:

Five years after his release from prison in 1990, the then-President founded Mad Trust as a way to distribute funds to freedom projects around the globe.

That's at least according to one of its trustees, Mandela's lawyer Ismail Ayob - who claims the Isle of Man was used to get around the difficulties of moving money in and out of Apartheid-era South Africa.

But questions have been raised as to whether Mandela ever knew about his offshore dealings, and if so, whether he would have approved.

A posthumous court battle between Mandela's estate and Ayob enlisted the help of Douglas firms Appleby and Maitland - whose bosses suggested the trust may have been void from the outset.

Mad Trust's assets of 18 million Rand (£955,247) were handed back to Mandela's estate three years ago.

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