IF Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP) Paribas had not refused the order to transfer funds to the bank account of Garnet Investment Ltd five years ago, perhaps today we may never know that Tommy Suharto is the owner of the Garnet account. The law in the British Virgin Islands, where Garnet is established, allows company owners to conceal their identities.

The British Virgin Islands, usually abbreviated BVI, seeks income from fees for licensing such n