“I sail, I run with my dogs, I ride polo horses, I race cars, I climb mountains, I play poker.” By scrolling through Philippe Stanislas Antoine Wasila's Instagram account or Facebook page, the man gives the impression of bathing in luxury. A lifestyle which probably results from his position as associate at “Xasteria Finances SA”, a company specializing in “mergers and acquisitions of companies generating from 10 to 500 million dollars in revenue”, for which he has worked for more than 27 years old, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Except that in reality, the man with shoulder-length hair and a graying beard is a fugitive hunted by all the police in Europe. His name has been added to the list of people wanted by Europol. And for good reason, this 57-year-old Frenchman is suspected of “falsifying administrative documents and trafficking in false administrative documents, laundering the proceeds of crime, organized or armed theft, fraud”, explains Europol.
A so-called autonomous drone project
If the European police are on his trail, it is because the man allegedly scammed investors by posing as a businessman, before extracting more than 5 million euros from them, reports Europol. All this, thanks to a well-established operating procedure.
In 2013 and 2014, Philippe Stanislas Antoine Wasila allegedly posed as a “successful businessman and lawyer” to several investors, promising them “substantial returns” thanks to an alleged “innovative project” to develop a autonomous drone. Thanks to the “lavish lifestyle” he led, he managed to gain the trust of his victims and convince them to entrust him with their funds, explains Europol.
But instead of investing their money in “this promising project”, as he had promised, the fifty-year-old created “a network of opaque companies and bank accounts abroad”, in order to divert investors' money. . The man allegedly managed to collect nearly 5.4 million euros, which he used to “finance his private lifestyle”.
An international arrest warrant
According to investigations, carried out by the Luxembourg police, Philippe Stanislas Antoine Wasila has never been a lawyer or investment manager, neither in Luxembourg nor in another country. “The alleged investment fund was never recognized by the Luxembourg financial regulator,” explains Europol, which adds that it did not have the “necessary authorizations to manage or supervise an investment fund.”
On his LinkedIn page, the man assures that “Xasteria Finances SA”, the company of which he claims to be associated, has concluded “more than 250 transactions in more than 20 sectors”, notably those of luxury products, fashion, bespoke hospitality, biotechnology, the media and cinema industry, aviation and “super yachts”. But on the Internet, no trace of company.
On April 17, 2024, ten years after this alleged scam, a European arrest warrant and an international arrest warrant were issued against Philippe Stanislas Antoine Wasila. Six months later, on November 12, his name was added by Europol to the list of Europe's most wanted fugitives.
A “prosecution case”, according to the suspect
The next day, the man, of French nationality and born in Luxembourg, defended himself in a letter sent to the Luxembourg newspaper Le Quotidien. Claiming his innocence and denouncing “a case solely against him”, he demanded the “presumption of innocence”.
Philippe Stanislas Antoine Wasila also claims to have visited the police premises twice to answer the investigators' questions. “I sent them all the documents and accounts necessary for their investigation in my possession and answered all the many questions, assisted or not by my lawyer,” he explained.
If he was unable to attend “the last summons of the investigating judge”, for “important medical reasons”, he was “in no way on the run”, explains Philippe Stanislas Antoine Wasila, ensuring that he provided ” the corresponding certificates” and “corresponded regularly” with the judge.
The suspect, who speaks six languages – French, English, German, Greek, Italian and Luxembourgish – recalls that his “criminal record is absolutely clean”.
Anyone with information on the current whereabouts of Philippe Stanislas Antoine Wasila should contact FAST Luxembourg via the email address [email protected] as well as directly via www.eumostwanted.eu.
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