Spring 2004: Nadhmi Auchi visits Illinois and Michigan, attending an event at Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago. Senator Obama shakes hands with Middle East businessmen at event at Four Seasons in Chicago, but aides say he does not remember Mr Auchi

2004: Mr Auchi makes first investment in 62-acre land development project Riverside Park in Chicago, according to Mr Rezko’s lawyer.

June 16, 2004: AR Pizza established in Delaware. Mr Auchi is “passive investor” in the company

April 28 2005: Mr Auchi’s conglomerate General Mediterranean Holding (GMH) lends $3.5 million to Tony Rezko

May 23 2005: Fintrade Services SA, a Panamanian company related to Mr Auchi, registers loan to Mr Rezko, secured by Mr Rezko's stake in AR Pizza

June 15 2005: Mr Rezko's wife Rita buys garden plot on same day as Obamas buy neighbouring mock Georgian mansion from same seller. Mrs Rezko pays asking price of $625,000, with a $500,000 mortgage. Obamas pay $1.65 million, which is $300,000 less than the asking price

September 30 2005: GMH makes $11 million loan to Mr Rezko

November 2005: Mr Rezko lobbies US State Department and, apparently, elected officials to try to get a US visa for Mr Auchi, prosecutors say

December 7 2005: AR Pizza sued by Papa John's pizzeria chain

January 2006: Mrs Rezko sells 10-foot strip of garden plot to the Obamas for $104,500

November 2006: Mr Rezko tells court he is broke. Mrs Rezko says she has salary of $37,000 and $35,000 in assets

December 28 2006: Mrs Rezko sells remainder of garden plot to Michael Sreenan, a lawyer for her husband's business, for $575,000

Spring 2007: Mr Rezko flies to London to meet a "business partner”, court records state

April 4 2007: Mr Auchi's GMH makes $3.5 million loan to Mr Rezko, transferring the money from Beirut to Mr Rezko's lawyers

June 13 2007: Mr Rezko informs the court that he will reduce his interest in the 62-acre Riverside Park project in Chicago from 40% to 20% to reduce his debt

July 5 2007: GMH wires $200,000 to Mr Rezko's lawyers

December 5 2007: Mr Rezko writes to GMH affiliate in Beirut to arrange a further $3.8 million cash plus forgiveness of $200,000 in return for liquidating his remaining stake in Riverside Park

January 28 2008: Mr Rezko jailed for violating his bail by failing to declare $3.7 million in payments from Mr Auchi’s companies

March 3 2008: Mr Rezko's corruption trial due to begin in Chicago.

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