Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, the former longtime prime minister and foreign minister of Qatar, purchased a controlling stake in Heritage Oil, a U.K. based oil company, potentially violating the laws of the Vienna convention.
The Vienna convention law prohibits any and all commercial activity for personal profit by person who has claimed diplomatic immunity in that country.
Article 42 of the Vienna Convention states that “a diplomat shall not in the receiving State practice for personal profit any professional or commercial activity.”
However, the law did not stop Sheikh Hamad from acquiring 80 percent of the British company in June 2014 while he was listed by the Qatari Embassy as a counselor in their notice to the UK government of which officials were covered under the country's diplomatic immunity.
Sheikh Hamad paid 924 million British pounds through Mirqab Capital, an investment company that is indirectly owned by his himself and his family.
Lawyers representing Sheikh Hamad said that his diplomatic duties in London include further developing the relationship between the two nations and that he is aware of the obligations placed upon him by being registered as a diplomat. The lawyers also stated the Sheikh Hamad has always acted in compliance with Article 42.
According to Telegraph UK, Former British Ambassador Sir Ivor Roberts stated that Article 42 was created because diplomats are representatives of their countries and though diplomats are immune from prosecution, any commercial activity is prohibited.
“If your purpose in going to a country is to carry out diplomatic activity, then it is not appropriate that you should be claiming your diplomatic immunity while carrying out commercial functions,” he said.
Nevertheless, Sir Roberts stated “It doesn’t seem to me that acquiring something, whether a painting or an oil company, might not be compatible with Article 42.”