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Former FTX CEO Now in Jail; Iranian Drones Shot Down by Ukraine; Kremlin Warns Again of Using Nuclear Weapon; Russian Dissenter Willing to Testify Against His Comrades; Morocco's Team Hungry to Win World Cup; Ukraine Gets More Aid Than They've Asked For; Donation That Gone Wrong in Ghana; President Ramaphosa Saved by the Parliament; President Biden Signed Same-sex Marriage into Law; Elon Musk's Wealth Dwindling; Duke and Duchess Netflix Series Watched by Millions. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired December 14, 2022 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead here on CNN Newsroom, day of reckoning. FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is charged with fraud and conspiracy accused of building a house of cards and using dirty money to buy political sway.
Ukraine shoots down Iranian made drones during a Russian attack on Kyiv. This, as the Ukrainians are about to get a potent new weapon to defend their skies. And this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN (through translator): We also deserve it to be the best team and get the title as an Arab and African nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Morocco fans have high hopes for an historic victory in the World Cup semi-finals against France.
UNKNOWN: Live from CNN center, this is CNN Newsroom with Rosemary.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, just a few weeks after his cryptocurrency empire collapsed former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried spent the night in a jail in The Bahamas. He faces extradition to the United States where he could be sentenced to 115 years in prison. One day after the embattled FTX founder was arrested, he was denied bail by a judge who said he posed a flight risk.
In New York, federal prosecutors unsealed an eight-count criminal indictment which includes charges of fraud and conspiracy and violating campaign finance laws. Meanwhile, the chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
issued this statement. We allege that Sam Bankman-Fried built a house of cards on a foundation of deception while telling investors that it was one of the safest buildings in crypto.
Brynn Gingras is in New York with more on Tuesday's developments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNKNOWN: This is one of the biggest financial frauds in American history.
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried once head of a cryptocurrency giant now alleged federal criminal.
UNKNOWN: Bankman-Fried and his co-conspirators stole billions of dollars from FTX customers.
GINGRAS: Authorities arrested him last night after U.S. prosecutors filed eight criminal charges, including wire fraud and multiple conspiracy counts. The 30-year-old appearing in court in The Bahamas now awaiting extradition to the U.S.
MICHAEL DRISCOLL, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN CHARGE, FBI NEW YORK: Fraud is fraud. It does not matter the complexity of the investment scheme. It does not matter the amount of money involved.
JOHN RAY III, CEO, FTX: We know the size of the harm was significant.
GINGRAS: The arrest comes on the eve of when Bankman-Fried was scheduled to appear before U.S. lawmakers and explain what led to the swift collapse of his company.
REP. PATRICK MCHENRY (R-NC): The arrest of Sam Bankman Fried is welcome News. But it still does not get at the bottom of what happened at FTX.
GINGRAS: The company's new CEO, John Ray III testified as he leads FTX through bankruptcy, exposing how the company made risky bets, bench spent, customers funds, and made questionable business decisions.
RAY III: This is really old-fashioned and embezzlement. This is just taking money from customers and using it for your own purpose. Not sophisticated at all.
GINGRAS: He had this advice for lawmakers as they consider making rules for the unregulated crypto industry.
RAY III: We're dealing with people's money and their assets. And you know, my basic observation is you need records, you need controls, and you need to segregate people's money.
UNKNOWN: Thank you.
RAY III: That's simple. GINGRAS: Earlier this year, Forbes magazine valued FTX at $32
billion. Bankman-Fried was seen as a superstar in the industry and earned the backing of major celebrities like Steph Curry.
STEPH CURRY, BASKETBALL PLAYER: With FTX, I have everything I need to buy, sell, and trade crypto safely.
GINGRAS: Tom Brady and his supermodel ex-wife, Gisele Bundchen.
TOM BRADY, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS QUARTERBACK: You know what, I'm in.
GINGRAS: But the company's value imploded last month after an industry publication questioned its inner workings, and scrutiny by the federal government snowballed. Several of the celebrities now facing a civil lawsuit for their endorsements. Bankman-Fried saying this in an interview prior to his arrest.
SAM BANKMAN-FRIED, FORMER CEO, FTX: Look, I should have been on top of this and I feel really, really bad and regretful that I wasn't, and a lot of people got hurt. And that -- that's on me.
GINGRAS: The Securities Exchange Commission also filing charges Tuesday alleging Bankman-Fried donated millions of investors money to political campaigns in violation of federal election laws.
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Adding in a statement, he built a house of cards on a foundation of deception. And Bankman-Fried is being held without bail in the Bahamas. The judge saying because he has so much access to finances, he does pose a flight risk. He'll be back in court in February.
Brynn Gingras, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Yesha Yadav is a professor of law and associate dean at Vanderbilt Law School. She joins me now from Rochester, Minnesota.
Good to have you with us.
YESHA YADAV, PROFESSOR OF LAW & ASSOCIATE DEAN, VANDERBILT LAW SCHOOL: Rosemary, thank you so very much for having me on your show today.
CHURCH: Absolutely. So, after Sam Bank-Fried's arrest in the Bahamas, he was denied bail Tuesday during a court hearing and will ultimately face multiple criminal charges next month with more charges to come in the future. What is his legal jeopardy at this juncture?
YADAV: Well, Rosemary, the picture looks extremely bleak for Sam Bankman-Fried today. This is on a multiple different levels. First and foremost is the criminal liability here. He's facing eight counts of criminal liability. And these span the gamut. And what we're seeing in this context is a potential legal liability that could be serious enough to land him in jail for life, though. So, this is very, very serious legal jeopardy for him. One issue that the U.S. will face is obviously trying to extradite Sam Bankman-Fried to the U.S. And that process could in fact take potentially months, if not actually years in some cases.
So, one potential roadblock that the Justice Department here could face, and that could give Sam Bankman-Fried potentially some kind of reprieve going forward are the extradition proceedings that we will -- that he will have to face in order to be moved from the Bahamas to face trial here in the U.S.
CHURCH: All right. So, if convicted, as you say, on all counts, Bankman-Fried could face more than 100 years in prison life, in other words. So, what about the other people linked to his company and also the various stars who supported FTX, Tom Brady, his former wife Giselle and many others. How liable are they ultimately given some would not have known of the deception fraud, they wouldn't have known about the inner workings. Some would.
YADAV: Rosemary, it's a terrific question. I think with respect to the inner circle that's running FTX, they are likely to face extremely serious legal jeopardy as well. It's unsurprising that a case has been bought first against Sam Bankman-Fried. This is a situation in which he is the headline grabber. He's obviously the head of the entire organization.
We heard testimony today at the financial services hearing from Mr. John Ray III who is the current CEO that pointed to Sam Bankman-Fried as the person who is running this entire enterprise.
And so, we certainly have a very strong culpability for Sam Bankman- Fried. But obviously, what Mr. Ray also pointed to was this cautery of other very close confidants that were in concentrated control, in Mr. Ray's words, of FTX.
Now what the indictment today pointed to was a series of conspiracy charges, conspiracy for wire fraud, for example. And in that context when you do have a conspiracy you are assuming that there will be other conspirators that will be involved in this context.
So, certainly, if you are connected to the very close circle of advisors that were running FTX at the time, there is every reason to worry that you are next in line to face legal jeopardy in this context.
Now looking much more further field for folks like the big stars involved in this case, as you mentioned, Rosemary, Tom Brady and the other big stars that were very closely involved in hyping up FTX. That is a harder case to establish.
In fact, the other day one of the cases against them was thrown out. The hype potential is going to be harder to face because there's no real crutch there to say that these folks were deceiving particular customers or they even knew about the problems that were happening at FTX at the time. CHURCH: So, is Bankman-Fried the Bernie Madoff of cryptocurrency, as many suggest and what needs to happen next then in this industry that clearly requires more checks and balances.
YADAV: It's clear, Rosemary, that FTX and SPF are the poster child for everything that has gone wrong in this industry. They were not just the bastions of the industry itself. They were the -- they were the ones that made this industry usable for the average everyday consumer.
They were the ones that made D.C. feel comfortable that in fact, crypto could be taken seriously and legitimized for the mainstream. And for the private industry, they were the ones that made crypto able to be financialized and included in parts into the mainstream financial system.
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And so, what happens next is going to be critical, not just for the everyday investors who are waiting to get their money back, but it's going to be critical for the future of the industry itself, because its entire industry now will depend on a return to confidence.
The ability for users, for investors, for stakeholders to believe once again that there's something here to actually put their money into where they can feel safe, where they feel that this -- that this actual technology has some real use value, where they feel that if they do have risk on the line that that risk is controlled and mitigated by some very basic checks and balances.
As made clear in John Ray's testimony, for example, there were really no adults in the room in this enterprise. It lacked something as basic as a board, and so it's a real time for reckoning in this industry. And what happens next is going to be critical for its future going forward.
CHURCH: Yes, most definitely. Yesha Yadav, thank you so much for your analysis. I appreciate it.
YADAV: Rosemary, thank you so much for having me.
CHURCH: Ukraine says its air defense forces shot down at least 13 Iranian made drones during an early morning attack on Kyiv just a short time ago. There are no reports of casualties, but an official says two administrative buildings and a private residence were damaged.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's foreign minister warns that Russia may launch a large offensive by the end of next month as Moscow aims to turn the tide on the battlefield. Ukraine's top diplomat also says, Russia's attacks on energy infrastructure have turned the entire country into a front line of the war.
And a key bridge in a Russian occupied area of southern Ukraine was targeted overnight. That is according to both Ukrainian and Russian sources. With Moscow's war effort suffering so many setbacks, a Russian commander now says nuclear weapons may be the only way to win the war in Ukraine. Here's what he told Russian state media.
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ALEXANDER KHODAKOVSKY, RUSSIAN MILITIA COMMANDER, DONETSK REGION (through translator): We realize that our resources, of course, have their limits, and the next spiral of escalation can only be one, nuclear. And we don't have the resources to defeat the NATO block with conventional means. But we have nuclear weapons for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Exclusive reporting by CNN shows the U.S. is finalizing plans to send the highly advanced Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine. U.S. officials tell CNN the plan is expected to be approved soon by both the U.S. defense secretary and President Joe Biden. And the Patriots could be shipped in just a matter of days.
Ukraine has long been asking for the system, but the training on how to use it, well, that could take many months. And this could be a game changer though as the system is capable of shooting down Russian missiles and aircraft far from their intended targets inside Ukraine.
And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is thanking the European Union and other countries for billions of dollars in humanitarian aid, $19 billion will come from the European Union. And donors at a conference in France pledged another billion. Most of the money will go to Ukraine's embattled energy sector, which has been decimated by Russian attacks.
CNN's Jim Bittermann reports.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: French President Macron said it was tangible proof that Ukraine is not alone. Macron sponsored what he called the Ukraine solidarity conference in order to raise short-term material support to help the battle torn country get through the winter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who addressed the conference through a video link, argued that the donor countries had a vested interest in helping to save his country, especially if they wanted to avoid a flood of refugees adding to the several million who have already fled the war.
He requested $843 million in civilian assistance, but got in the end more than he asked for. With donor nations pledging more than a billion dollars in aid. The organizers are hoping that between now and the middle of March the donors will come through in their pledges to five specific areas, the electricity, heat, health, food, and transport. All areas that have been damaged or destroyed by the relentless Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Jim Bittermann, CNN, Paris. CHURCH: And last hour, I spoke with Tymofiy Mylovanov, the president
of the Kyiv School of Economics. He described where the billions in aid is needed most, and the impact it could have on rebuilding Ukraine.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TYMOFIY MYLOVANOV, PRESIDENT, KYIV SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: The numbers are staggering. Absolutely. The direct damages. So, the Kyiv School of Economics works together with the World Bank on the estimate. So, this are numbers are -- these numbers I'm going to mention are consistent. The direct damages are at $136 billion.
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They need, so in direct damages together range from 350 that you mentioned to 750 over 10 years. How confident we are that the money will be coming? Well, it sounds like it's a lot of money, but it's a small portion, just a share, a tiny bit of what the country is now are investing in defense and in helping people cope with the energy cost and inflation.
So, in that sense, it's a good investment to have strong Ukraine that Russia doesn't attack and has denied the ability to wage of war.
CHURCH: And what is the plan in terms of rebuilding? Is it to take Ukraine back to where it was, or is there going to be an effort to move it forward with the rebuild?
MYLOVANOV: There is a notion of the terminology built -- build back better. The idea is that we don't rebuild everything. We might have rebuilt even less than before, but we'll rebuild better in a sense that it's modern, decentralized infrastructure, which is sustainable.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: My thanks to Tymofiy Mylovanov for speaking with me last hour.
A former Russian soldier is seeking asylum in Europe after defecting from an army brigade accused of committing war crimes in Ukraine. In his first TV interview, he tells CNN's Fred Pleitgen what he witnessed during the war. And a warning, some of the images in this exclusive report are disturbing.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: After the Russian army was forced to retreat around Kyiv, the carnage came to light. Bucha, Borodyanka and many other Kyiv suburbs littered with bodies. Ukraine, especially blames one Russian unit for alleged crimes here, the 64th separate guards motor rifle brigade from eastern Siberia.
Now a deserter from that unit is speaking to CNN. NIKITA CHIBRIN, RUSSIAN DESERTER: It's actually a big lie for, for
me. Like on the 24th of February come in, OK, you go, everyone, go to war.
PLEITGEN: Nikita Chibrin defected from the Russian military and fled to Europe where we met him in a secret location. He shows me his military booklet with a stamp signed by the commander of the 64th Motor Rifle brigade, Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov known in Ukraine as the butcher of Bucha.
Chibrin says he and his comrades were given shoots to kill orders even though Russia has denied any wrongdoing by its forces around Kyiv.
CHIBRIN (through translator): We had a direct command to murder those who divulged our positions. If someone had a phone, we were allowed to shoot him.
PLEITGEN: Chibrin says the unit was deployed to Belarus shortly before the invasion allegedly for training. The soldiers had no idea they would soon advance into Ukraine, and he says they weren't prepared for war.
CHIBRIN (through translator): Everyone thought they could be like Rambo. Those who said, I will be shooting Ukraine's easily, piece of cake. When they went to the frontline and then they came back, they were like, we don't want no war.
PLEITGEN: Chibrin says he, too, came under Ukrainian artillery shelling and showed us this video from near the town Lypivka west of. He tells me he refused to fight because he was opposed to the war and that his commanders called him a coward and reassigned him to menial labor tasks in the rear echelon.
He says he didn't witness the mass killings the unit is accused of, but did witness plenty of crimes against Ukrainian civilians, including looting.
They weren't trying to hide it. They did this very openly.
CHIBRIN: Yes, yes, yes. No need to hide this all. Everything what they see. Whoa. I want this thing. I want this. Everything they look and cars too made for looting.
PLEITGEN: And even rape.
CHIBRIN (through translator): I saw rapists running around being chased because they were committed rape. The guys who did rape, I saw them run. Then I learned they were rapists. They raped a mother and a daughter. They were never jailed, just fired. Just like that. Go.
PLEITGEN: CNN has reached out to the Russian defense ministry for comment, but we haven't received a reply. Russia has consistently denied its forces were responsible for crimes against Ukrainian civilians. And President Vladimir Putin issued a decree praising the 64th separate guard's motor rifle brigade for, quote, "heroism and bold actions." Nikita Chibrin fled Russia while on leave. He gets emotional when talking about his four-year-old daughter he left behind. He says he wants to testify against his commanders before an international court to shed light on what happened in the war he never wanted to be a part of.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: The next World Cup semi-final is just hours away and history is on the line with Morocco eyeing another upset. And France eager to become the first in decades to win back-to-back tournament.
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We're back without in just a moment.
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CHURCH: Finally, some relief from sky high inflation in the United Kingdom. The government says year over year inflation ease slightly last month down to 10.7 percent. It was just over 11 percent in October. The data comes as the U.K.'s Central Bank is expected to raise interest rates for the ninth time in a row at its next meeting on Thursday.
And the U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates another half a point when it wraps up its December meeting in the day ahead. The move is meant to slow inflation. The latest government report shows prices are still high, but inflation is cooling.
Consumer prices rose 7.1 percent in November. That is the lowest rate in almost a year, and inflation has now slowed for five months in a row. The increase was driven by food and housing costs, which offset falling energy prices.
This is the moment Argentina knew they'd secured their ticket to the World Cup final. The world number three crushed Croatia three-nil in the semis, setting off all this joy in Buenos Aires. Thousands of people flooded the streets waving light blue and white flags.
After Argentina's rough start of the tournament that embarrassing loss to Saudi Arabia, this moment means a lot to them and to superstar Lionel Messi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIONEL MESSI, ARGENTINA CAPTAIN (through translator): We have been enjoying it a lot since we arrived at this World Cup. Even though we had a losing start, as we said at the time, we were confident in this group we were going to move forward. We asked people to trust because we knew what we are, and this group is crazy and well, we did it.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Messi has never won a World Cup. This is likely his last chance. Messi scored off an early penalty kick in the semifinal and is now tied for most goals in the tournament.
Well, meanwhile, Morocco's date with destiny is now just hours away when the Atlas Lions take on France in the other World Cup semifinal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOUFIANE KAHOU, MOROCCO FAN (through translator): Thank God for the success of the national team. I hope we win the title. Why not? We also deserved it to be the best team and get the title. As an Arab and African nation, we wish the best to all the participating teams.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Morocco are the only African and Arab team to ever make it this far and are hungry to add a championship to their growing list of firsts.
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French and Moroccan flags are flying in the main square of Marrakesh and the national airline is offering dozens of flights to Doha ahead of the big match according to state media.
Well, France ranked fourth in the world are the defending champions, and if they were to fall to Morocco, that could be the biggest shock yet in a World Cup already overflowing with upsets.
CNN's Don Riddell has the details now from Doha.
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DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: This Morocco team is treading in uncharted territory here at the World Cup. No African side has ever made it to the semifinals. No Arab side has ever made it to the semi- finals. And having come this far, these Atlas Lions have no intention of stopping now.
Ahead of Wednesday's crunch game against the defending champions France, Morocco's coach Walid Regragui put his players through one of their final training sessions at this tournament. They know the drill by now and they won't be phased by anybody lining up against them. Having already drawn against the 2018 finalist Croatia, beaten the second ranked side Belgium, and then knocked out the highly fancied Spain and Portugal teams, Morocco have nothing to fear.
WALID REGRAGUI, HEAD COACH, MOROCCO NATIONAL TEAM (through translator): When you get to the semifinal of a World Cup and you are not hungry, there's a problem. Not everyone is lucky to play at the stage of the tournament. The best team here, Brazil, has already been knocked out. We are a very ambitious team. We are hungry, but I don't know if it will be enough. It can be. We are confident and determined to rewrite the history books. We want Africa to be on top of the world. RIDDELL: Their run so far has been exhilarating. Five games in which
they've only conceded one goal, and that was an own goal against Canada. It's a success story which has seemingly unified the Arab fan base and their supporters can't get enough of them. But their biggest fans are surely their mums who have flown in by the federation to help unify the team. It has been a tactical master stroke also providing some of the most memorable scenes of the tournaments.
When Morocco began training here last month, not many would've imagined that they'd be among the last few standing. But it's been a tournament of upsets, so perhaps it all makes perfect sense.
They're the darlings of this World Cup, and maybe the biggest surprise is yet to come.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And in more Somber news, we are following several deaths that have taken place during the Qatar World Cup. U.S. Soccer and FIFA will be hosting a memorial service next week for American Journalist Grant Wahl, according to his family. Wahl died last week at age 49 while reporting on the quarter final between Argentina and the Netherlands. His body has been returned to the United States and his manager says an autopsy is being performed.
And a second journalist apparently died last weekend while covering the tournament. Khaled Saif Salem Al-Musallam was a photo journalist who worked for Qatari channel Al-Kass. It's unclear what caused his death. Al-Kass has not released any further information.
And we've also learned a World Cup security guard has died in hospital after falling from the eighth floor of Qatar's Lusail Stadium on Saturday. Organizers say the 24-year-old from Kenya was on duty when it happened. His family says his employer in Qatar has not explained any of the circumstances surrounding his death.
CNN has reached out to the company for comment but has not heard back.
Well, still ahead, a CNN exclusive investigation. The western aid donors funding churches in Ghana with a long record of violence and repression against gay and lesbian people. We'll have that after the break.
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: In an exclusive CNN's As Equals investigation, we reveal how western aid donors who have pledged to support LGBTQ plus rights have also funded supporters of a controversial anti-LGBTQ plus bill in Ghana.
In the five years up to 2021, at least $5 million in aid from Europe and the U.S. went to projects run by or benefiting churches in Ghana whose leaders not only backed the bill, but also have a long track record of hateful anti-LGBTQ plus rhetoric.
Nima Elbagir and her team travel to Ghana to see the human cost of the rhetoric.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: The Jamestown Lighthouse in the capital Accra overlooks the Atlantic. The historic gold coast inexorably tied by the slave trade and Christian missionaries to the American shoreline and ocean away, ties that remain to this day.
Today, the nearby market is busy and vibrant. This is the beating heart of Accra. You can buy pretty much anything here. And here, like much of the capital, the spirit of God, the word of God is omnipresent.
And you can see its influence in all corners in this religiously conservative society.
UNKNOWN: The issues of the LGBTQ plus movement are completely at variance with the laws and principles of the Almighty God.
ELBAGIR: A national prayer rally entitled homosexuality, a Detestable sin to God. But it's also across mainstream TV.
UNKNOWN (on-screen text): In this country, I am going to say it. They will say it's hate speech. If you find any gay person in your neighborhood stone them to death.
ELBAGIR: The guest, a leading opposition party member, and the presenter are discussing a draft bill being debated in parliament that further criminalizes the LGBTQ plus community.
UNKNOWN (on-screen text): The Ghanaian pastors who are gay --
ELBAGIR: It's often disguised as family values, but if passed without amendments, U.N. experts warn it will be a recipe for conflict and violence across Ghana. A CNN As Equals investigation has shown the same churches backing the anti-LGBTQ plus bill received funding from U.S. and European governments. Over $4 million to the Catholic charge, and over a million between other Protestant churches, taxpayers' money, even as they for years preach to further criminalize being gay in Ghana.
Their position has been no secret. In press releases, churches were publicly vilifying homosexuality. In one instance, calling to stop those who propagate this evil agenda of those with abnormal sexual orientations. And in another stating that homosexuality is an affront to human dignity. This rhetoric and the billet spawned has real life consequences.
UNKNOWN: This is like the rest (Ph) demo camp two area. ELBAGIR: Asibi (Ph) not her real name, wants to take us back to her
small neighborhood in Accra. She identifies as queer. For a long time, no one knew but she believes she always stood out.
UNKNOWN: I didn't really get along with, with anyone generally because I had like this label of a slut, which was weird. Like from the tender age of seven, people felt like I was a slut because I like to hang out with the boys.
[03:34:54]
ELBAGIR: Asibi (Ph) was outed when this video of her helping to clean up a local LGBTQ plus center was broadcast on various national TV stations. The center was shut down following calls from religious leaders. The videos from the community center went viral and exposed Asibi (Ph) to her community and family.
UNKNOWN: All of a sudden, I became this devious, devilish bad person in all kinds of stories were concocted about me.
ELBAGIR: At this point, Asibi (Ph) says she could still live in her home. It wasn't until her neighbor said a man who looked like a relative was outside her house with a group of male friends that she felt in danger.
UNKNOWN: He would've probably kidnapped me. Hold me up somewhere probably at the family house, and tried various tactics to cure me. Things could have gone anywhere from physical assaults to corrective rape.
ELBAGIR: Corrective rape, the mistake and belief that the victim's sexuality can be changed by being forced to have sex with the opposite gender. Asibi had to leave the country for a number of months, she had no police. The police are not here to protect the LGBTQ plus community. It's already illegal to be gay.
SAM GEORGE, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: It's already a criminal offense. So, you must be minded if you are permit -- committing a criminal offense that you cannot seek rights in the committing of an offense.
ELBAGIR: This is Sam George. A key proponent of the draft bill called The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values. The new bill criminalizes not only same sex relationships and marriages, but also identifying as LGBTQ plus, promoting and funding of LGBTQ plus groups and public debate or education on sexual orientation and gender identity.
GEORGE: Let's be also very clear here that there is no evidence whatsoever that the inception of this bill or the introduction of this bill into parliament has increased the wave of violence against practitioners of LGBTQ activities.
UNKNOWN: And the prejudice --
ELBAGIR: And yet, LGBTQ plus Ghanaians are increasingly targeted. So Some of these are forced confessions. ALEX DONKOR, LGBTQ+ RIGHTS DIRECTOR: Yes. Some of these are false confessions, right? Some of these are even posted on social media by the perpetrator themselves.
ELBAGIR: Alex Donkor says he receives these videos almost daily now. What you are about to see is disturbing. Videos seen by CNN show attackers growing increasingly brazen, filming their violent abuse of people they allege are gay, forcing them to confess, and in some cases, name other people who are also gay.
It's not just the capital Accra. Violence is permeating across this country. People are really afraid. Friends and neighbors are turning on each other. For the safety of the people, we're meeting we've agreed not to disclose their location.
A worrying trend is that people need only to be accused of being part of the LGBTQ plus community. Mobs take it upon themselves to dole out what they perceive as vigilante justice, in effect, a witch hunt.
These men after being beaten, falsely accused a woman of being a pimp. Her life as she knew it was destroyed.
UNKNOWN: They said I was selling gay men and women for sex.
ELBAGIR: But your case was dismissed.
UNKNOWN: Yes.
ELBAGIR: And nobody believes that you are innocent.
UNKNOWN: No. Till this day, no one believes me. No one believes I didn't do it. So I lost everybody and I was also four months pregnant, and I lost my baby and it was one of the most painful things. I cannot forget that.
ELBAGIR: The church's place in Ghana is indisputable. The church's position towards the LGBTQ plus community undeniable. The position of some western donors like the U.S. who say they stop donations before the new legislation but refused to clarify whether they still support church projects, unconscionable.
Nima Elbagir, Accra, Ghana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: None of the churches in this story responded to CNN's multiple requests for comment. The Italian government told CNN it is not responsible for the use of these identified funds.
The United States blamed the previous administration, saying it would not have prohibited funding based on the statement of anti-LGBTQ plus rhetoric by churches, but would not clarify if it continues to support church projects in Ghana.
A German government spokesperson stated they do not support any projects which endanger the rights of LGBTQ plus communities. However, CNN reached out to organizations acting for Germany in Ghana, who confirmed they continue to support projects run by, or benefiting the Catholic church and a number of Protestant churches.
[03:40:07]
And you can read more about this investigation on cnn.com. There's also a link to frequently asked questions about the As Equals project including information about its funding.
And we'll be right back with more news. Do stay with us. You're watching CNN.
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CHURCH: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has emerged victorious in the fight for his political life. The country's parliament voted against starting impeachment proceedings against him following a lively debate on Tuesday. He had been accused of covering up the theft of more than half a million dollars from his private game farm.
CNN's David Mackenzie is following reaction.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was fighting for his political life, but in the end, it was not even close. In a vote in parliament, largely along party lines, parliament deciding not to start impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa.
Now it's all related to an independent panel inquiry of the president, which says, which said that he could have contravened the Constitution and even covered up a crime when more than $500,000 was stolen from his Phala Phala game farm from where it was hidden inside a sofa.
Before the vote though, there was a feisty debate, and as expected the opposition tore into the president and the ruling ANC.
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JULIUS MALEMA, PRESIDENT, ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS: You are so desperate to avoid any type of investigation into the crimes that have occurred at, and in relation to a Phala Phala farm that you have decided to speed in the face of the freedoms and institutions so many fought and died for.
JOHN STEENHUISEN, LEADER, DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE: As long as you got the numbers in parliament, you can make any scandal go away. And if that's how you intend to vote today in one unified shield against accountability and oversight, just like you did in the Zuma days, then shame on you.
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MCKENZIE: Now, of course he's referring to former President Jacob Zuma, who was never censured by parliament but had to resign in his own corruption scandal. A scandal that he denied. And Ramaphosa has also denied all the allegations.
In a few days, Ramaphosa will be standing for ANC president in the elected conference. He's widely expected to win that race, but this is not over the -- over yet. There's still investigations ongoing on what is now known as farm gate.
David McKenzie, CNN, Johannesburg.
CHURCH: Elon Musk's wealth has reportedly fallen since his purchase of Twitter. Coming up, why controversial moves are hurting business for the once richest man in the world. Back with that and more in just a moment.
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CHURCH: U.S. President Joe Biden has signed the Respectful Marriage Act into law. The landmark law provides federal protections to same- sex and interracial couples and requires states to honor marriages performed in other states.
Mr. Biden emphasized that everyone must be treated with equal dignity and respect.
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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: My fellow Americans, the road to this moment has been long, but those who believed in equality and justice, you never gave up. We got it done. We're going to continue the work ahead, I promise you.
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CHURCH: To mark the historic day, the White House was lit up in rainbow colors.
Well, the New York Times is reporting Twitter has stopped paying rent at its San Francisco headquarters and global offices. It also reports new owner Elon Musk's team is considering not paying severance packages to thousands of people who have left the company since he took over. It -- it's moves like that which have made Musk a lightning rod for criticism.
CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich takes a look at Twitter's enigmatic and controversial leader.
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UNKNOWN: Make some noise for the richest man in the world.
CROWD: Yes.
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Elon Musk met with boos and some cheers on stage with Dave Chappelle. A mirror of what his first two months at Twitter's helm have been like, revered by some, despised by others.
A tweet about prosecuting Anthony Fauci drew backlash. He's reinstated many previously banned accounts like former President Donald Trump that violated Twitter's rules and he fired thousands of employees. Reportedly threatening to sue the ones remained if they leak confidential information.
But those who followed Musk's career say they're not surprised.
SARA FISCHER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The approach that you're seeing in how Elon Musk governs Twitter is aligned with how he's governed his previous companies. The difference is that he's doing it more publicly in a more supercharged way.
YURKEVICH Musk started his first tech company with his brother in the mid-1990s called Zip2, which made online maps.
UNKNOWN: We slept in our office because we could pay rent either an office or a house. If we're like, we'll just do the office.
UNKNOWN: This is definitely very cool.
YURKEVICH: Musk sold that first company in 1999 for more than $300 million and bought himself a rare McLaren supercar with his new found fortune.
UNKNOWN: There is John in the fastest car in the world.
YURKEVICH: Bigger money would come with Musk's next company, which eventually became PayPal. It sold in 2002 for $1.5 billion. But Musk was just getting started.
MAYE MUSK, ELON MUSK'S MOTHER: He said, should he go into space or should he go into electric cars or solar, solar power? And I said, well just choose one.
YURKEVICH: Musk didn't listen to his mom.
ELON MUSK, CEO, TWITTER: We expect to open a lot more sales and service centers.
YURKEVICH: He revolutionized the car industry with Tesla, which he's claimed has almost gone bankrupt. Tesla, like many companies facing a dramatic collapse in share price down nearly 50 percent this year. Challenging Musk's richest man in the world title.
[03:49:58]
EDWARD NIEDERMEYER, AUTHOR, LUDICROUS, THE UNVARNISHED STORY OF TESLA MOTORS: Tesla was always an incredibly chaotic company in a business that runs on long-term planning. It was sort of this day-to-day sort of chaos and lack of planning and the plans were constantly changing.
YURKEVICH: He went on making history with SpaceX.
E. MUSK: We want to make space accessible to everyone. YURKEVICH: Musk started a solar energy company and another high-tech
venture, Neuralink, aiming to connect humans and computers by implanting chips into people's brains.
E. MUSK: It's sort of like having an Apple watch or a Fitbit replacing a piece of skull with like a, you know, a smartwatch.
YURKEVICH: Initially, camera shy, Musk learned to leverage the power of publicity.
UNKNOWN: You're Elon Musk.
E. MUSK: I am.
M. MUSK: I saw him on a TV show. I said, Elon, you're doing TV work. And he said, no one will send -- sell me any rocket parts because they don't who I am.
YURKEVICH: He has nine children and even the unusual name of one child made headlines.
E. MUSK: I mean, it's just X, the letter X. And then, the A.E. is like pronounced ash.
YURKEVICH: His eccentric ways have landed him in serious trouble. A joke tweet about taking Tesla private led to an SEC investigation and a lawsuit.
UNKNOWN: Musk tweets and blog posts misled investors into believing that it was virtually certain that he could take Tesla private.
YURKEVICH: Musk settled with the SEC, and this year he bought the very company that landed him in legal hot water purchasing Twitter for $44 billion.
E. MUSK: If Twitter was not if bought and steered in a good direction, that it would be a danger for the future of civilization, and so that's why I -- that's why I bought it.
YURKEVICH: Musk has been criticized for allowing hate speech back onto Twitter, something he denies.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): We can't be surprised because Musk has let go so many of the people that might be responsible for moderating and taking that content offline.
YURKEVICH: Despite the backlash against him, Musk insists he's always had the best motives.
E. MUSK: I love humanity and I think that we should fight for a good future for humanity.
YURKEVICH: Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: The new Netflix got docu-series on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is now the platform's most watched documentary debut ever. In its first week of release the show appropriately titled Harry and Meghan has logged more than 81 million hours watched. Along with new revelations about their relationship the series has also highlighted their claims of racism in the British media and monarchy.
CNN's Salma Abdelaziz looks at how those claims have affected their relationship from the beginning.
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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a union that brought hope of change, an outsider and woman of color breaking through to the very highest level of British society. The couple say systemic racism deep- rooted in the U.K.'s media and monarchy, both elite and predominantly white institutions left them isolated and unheard.
In a new Netflix documentary, they share their experiences.
PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: Why should your girlfriend be treated any differently? Why should you get special treatment? Why should she be protected? And I said the difference here is the race element.
ABDELAZIZ: Their wedding in 2019 was a celebration of Britain's multiculturalism.
KAREN GIBSON, CHOIR CONDUCTOR AT SUSSEX'S WEDDING: There was a sense of us representing. There was that kind of understanding that we weren't just standing there for ourselves, that we were standing there for communities of color.
PRINCE HARRY: I don't know, I just --
ABDELAZIZ: But it's the couple's exit from royal duties and later a bombshell Oprah interviewed to explain the move that sparked controversy.
OPRAH WINFREY, TV HOST: Did you leave the country because of racism?
PRINCE HARRY: It was a large, it was a large part of it.
MEGHAN, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: And if a member of his family will comfortably say, we've all had to deal with things that are rude. Rude and racist are not the same.
ABDELAZIZ: Talk of race and racism, often seen as a taboo topic in the U.K. prompted a reckoning for some, for others, defensiveness, even anger.
PIERS MORGAN, HOST, FOX NEWS: This is a two-hour trash-athon.
ABDELAZIZ: Piers Morgan, a top TV host, stormed off the set.
MORGAN: All right. Do you know what?
(CROSSTALK)
UNKNOWN: That's perfect --
MORGAN: You could trash a moment, not mine.
UNKNOWN: No, no, no, no.
ABDELAZIZ: -- after a series of rants against Markle. And the U.K. society of editors issued a blanket refusal to acknowledge any bigotry at any level in the press. Critics called the statement willful ignorance.
Buckingham Palace said they would address the matter behind closed doors, but Prince William made a public and rare off-the-cuff remark.
PRINCE WILLIAM, PRINCE OF WALES: no, we're very much not a racist family.
ABDELAZIZ: But for many others, the first modern royal of color articulated a lived experience that resonated at a time of racial reckoning.
[03:55:04]
In 2020, the U.K. saw huge demonstrations that demanded Britain confront institutional inequality. The Sussex's say they're driven by that same call to action.
PRINCE HARRY: There is a huge level of unconscious bias. It's education, it's awareness, and it's a constant -- it's a constant working work in progress.
ABDELAZIZ: Now, unbound by monarchy, the couple are lending their voice to Britain's anti-racism movement and aggravating its detractors.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Rosemary Church. CNN Newsroom continues with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo, next.
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BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Bianca Nobilo.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Max Foster. Joining you live from London.
Just ahead on CNN Newsroom.
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TAMMY SEPULDAEO, RESIDENT: You know, they always say that your train coming. Well, this was a big train to come through here.
BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Basically, crawling across the country over the next couple of days.
UNKNOWN: Thousands of migrants are now coming from Central and South America, as well as Cuba.
UNKNOWN: The large number of migrants that we're seeing at this time will probably put us in a position in the near future where we're going to have to say no.
UNKNOWN: The Federal Reserve is widely expected to deliver another major interest rate hike today.
BIDEN: Prices are still too high. We have a lot more work to do.
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UNKNOWN: Live from London, this is CNN Newsroom with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo.
FOSTER: It is Wednesday, December the 14th, 9 a.m. here in London, 4 a.m. on the U.S. East Coast. We are following a massive winter storm that's causing major disruption and travel delays in the U.S. It is freezing much of the Midwest and central states whilst deadly tornadoes are ripping across the south.
NOBILO: Tornado threats will continue across the southeast throughout the morning, and schools in Mississippi will be closed today. A child has died and his mother is still missing after a tornado touchdown in Louisiana. One woman says she's lucky to be alive.
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SEPULDAEO: We got in the shower, like I said, and then, all of a sudden, by the time we got hunkered down here, it was gone. The roof was gone. And you know, they always say that your train coming. Well, this was a big train to come through here.
