It goes back to 1997, when word spread of alleged fraud by Jefri's flagship company, Amedeo.

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They've arrived at Casa Amedeo the oldest Puerto Rican record shop in New York.

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He used Amedeo to drive the plan to turn Brunei into a service hub for trade and tourism.

CNN: TROUBLED KINGDOM

Just three years ago the government insisted that Amedeo was doing well and there was no cause for concern.

CNN: Intelligence: Echoes in Brunei

Did the Amedeo affair and Jefri's alleged misuse of BIA funds fall into the same category of multi-billion dollar fiascoes?

CNN: TROUBLED KINGDOM

In late July, the Sultan removed the absent Jefri as head of BIA. On Aug. 2, Jefri lost control of Amedeo.

CNN: TROUBLED KINGDOM

Amedeo Modigliani was born in 1884, in the Italian port city of Livorno, the last of four children of a couple whose marriage united two Sephardic Jewish clans.

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The journalists have not been officially named, but have been identified in the Italian media as Rai journalist Amedeo Ricucci, freelancers Elio Colavolpe and Andrea Vignali and Italian-Syrian reporter Susan Dabbous.

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Last year, however, Amedeo fell on bad times.

CNN: TROUBLED KINGDOM