Man on trial for buying generator for Iranian nuclear reactor

Abu Dhabi - Ali Al Abbadi, counsel of the suspect - identified as A.M.G - demanded his client to be referred to a medical committee specialised in neuropsychiatric diseases

The State Security Wing of the Federal Supreme Court on Monday looked into a number of cases related to the security of the nation.
The court listened to the testimony of a prosecution witness in a case in which an Iranian suspect - identified as S.M.A.S - is accused of facilitating the purchase of a high tech power generator to be used in a nuclear reactor after shipping it to Iran through the UAE. He allegedly received 12 million pounds from agents of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian intelligence. The court heard that the transaction took place when Iran was facing international sanctions.
An investigation officer at the state security apparatus who unveiled the deal told the court that the suspect had contacted Iranian agents to help purchase the generator made in Germany by Siemens through the company's branch in London and ship it to Iran via the UAE.
The witness stated that the generator in question is a high tech one used for military purposes and for generating power in nuclear reactors.
The witness said the suspect had forged documents needed for the shipping and wrongly informed the manufacturer that the generator would be exported to Myanmar. The suspect had presented forged documents to the middlemen and used his Dubai-based shipment company to conclude the deal in collaboration with Iranian agents.
The officer told the court that the suspect received 12 million pounds from Iranian agencies, of which 7 million was the cost of the generator and the remaining amount was his commission. The suspect planned that the generator would be imported from London to Dubai and then it would be headed to Myanmar by sea, the officer said, adding that it was planned to change the shipment route in the high sea to be redirected to Iran. However, the shipment was caught after it reached the UAE from London.
After the witness was cross-examined by the court and defence lawyers Zayed Al Shamssi and Ali Al Manaie, the judge, Falah Al Hajeri, ordered the case be adjourned to October 31 to listen to the final defence.
In another case known as the Hezbollah case, the defence advocates demanded the acquittal of the two suspects, who are accused of supplying vital information regarding arms deals signed by the UAE Army during the Abu dhabi defence Exhibition to the Hezbollah group of Lebanon. They challenged the investigation procedures made to get confessions from their clients as void. They also doubted the validity of the evidence submitted to the court.
One of the counsels told the court that Hezbollah did not get such information from his client, but they managed to obtain it from the media and brochures that were made available at the pavilions of the exhibition. He claimed that such information are public and is available to all.
The court reserved the case to October 31 to pronounce a verdict.
malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi