Industry | 2009.08.26
UK businessmen 'broke Iraq sanctions'
Two British-based businessmen have been charged with breaking the sanctions imposed on the regime of the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, it emerged today.
The men have been accused of making unauthorised payments to the former regime in prosecutions brought by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
The charges arise from allegations that the discredited oil-for-food programme was widely abused by Saddam\'s regime.
A United Nations report alleged that more than 2,000 firms around the world made illicit payments to the regime. Under the sanctions, Iraq was allowed to sell only limited amounts of oil abroad to buy food and medicines.
Both men charged hold British passports and are understood to be in the oil industry, although they did not work together.
Aftab al-Hassan, 65, of Finchley, north London, is due to appear at City of London magistrates court tomorrow accused of causing the transfer of $1.6m (£900,000) to the Iraqi government.
Prosecutors allege the money was transferred to bank accounts in Jordan and Lebanon, controlled by the Iraqi State Oil Marketing Organisation, in 13 payments between January 2001 and April 2002.
The second man, Riad el-Tahir, 70, of Esher, Surrey, appeared at City of London magistrates court last Wednesday on charges of causing the transfer of approximately $500,000 to the Iraqi government in 2001. He told the Guardian he would fight the charges.
The SFO is continuing to investigate other allegations regarding payments made to the regime by a number of major UK firms.
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/aug/26[...]inessmen-iraq-sanctions-charge
