In 1996, Davenport was introduced to Professor Cyril Foray, the former Foreign Minister and High Commissioner of Sierra Leone, during that country's civil war. Davenport entered into negotiations with the Sierra Leone government in order to refurbish the country's London embassy, 33 Portland Place, built in 1775 by Robert Adam and valued at £5 million. He acquired a lease on the building for £50,000 but eventually claimed the property as his private residence. The government of Sierra Leone took legal action against Davenport in London in 1999, but the case was eventually settled with no clear victor. The British government offered to purchase a new building for the Sierra Leonean High Commission, leaving Davenport with the remainder of the lease. In 2005 a Nevis-based company, Portland Place (Historic House) Ltd, acquired the freehold of the building for £3.75 million. A UK company, with an identical name, Portland Place (Historic House) Ltd, is registered at 33 Portland Place with assets and turnover listed as nil.