Further to our earlier post, the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office has issued a press release stating that charges have now been laid against Vladimir D. for allegedly exporting dual use goods for military use to the Russian military.
The products are said to have been hot isostatic presses, as well as decaboranes, a chemical use in rocket fuel and explosives.
The goods are valued at €1.8m.
Prosecutors in Germany have concluded their investigation into allegations that chemicals had been shipped to Syria in breach of EU sanctions.
Prosecutors in Duisburg have confirmed that they do not intend to prosecute Brenntag AG over the allegations.
After press reports alleging that German company Brenntag AG was involved in the indirect export of chemicals to Syria potentially in breach of the EU’s sanctions, prosecutors in Essen, where Brenntag AG is located, have confirmed that they have initiated legal proceedings and are probing whether to open a formal investigation.
Three NGOs have already filed criminal charges over the chemical exports, including the Berlin-based Syrian Archive, the Switzerland-based organization Trial International, and the New York-based Open Society Justice Initiative.
Three managers of Sig Sauer, the arms manufacturer have been convicted (after guilty pleas) of the unlicensed export of small arms to Colombia. See our earlier post.
One manager was fined €600,000 and given an 18-month suspended prison sentence. Another was fined given a 10-month suspended sentence and also fined €600,000. A third was fined €60,000 and given a 10-month suspended sentence.
The company itself was fined €11 million.
It has been reported today that the United Nations Panel of Experts on its North Korean sanctions is investigating possible sanctions breaches by the German company Müller + Partner GmbH.
The allegations relate to the shipment of luxury goods to North Korea and involve transshipment through Singapore.
The German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch has today been fined €3.7 million for illegal arms exports to Mexico.
The conviction relates to the export of over 4,000 assault rifles and other weapons and ammunition. The fine included confiscation of the gross profits from the sales.
Two Heckler & Koch employees were also convicted and given suspended prison sentences of 17 and 22 months respectively.
The German Federal Prosecutor’s Office has issued a press release regarding the arrest of an individual (Vladimir D.) on suspicion of exporting dual-use goods to Russia in breach of EU sanctions.
The goods are valued at €1.7 million and were said to have been exported in two consignments in 2014 and 2018.
As stated in the press release: “In order to circumvent the export controls, the accused is said to have carried out his transactions via changing fictitious recipients, presented false documents and carried out technical manipulations on the goods”.
The Hamburg Public Prosecutor has confirmed that it is currently investigating three Russian-based employees of Siemens in relation to alleged export of turbines to Crimea in breach of EU sanctions.
Siemens has confirmed that it is cooperating with the investigation, and stated that it exported the turbines for use in Russia and not in Crimea, and that the turbines were re-exported to Crimea without its knowledge.
The prosecutor’s office in Oldenburg has opened an investigation into VET Pharma Friesoythe GmbH for suspected illegal exports of a controlled chemical to Japan and United States.
The chemical is used to put down dogs, but can also be used for lethal injections. A such it is tightly regulated.
The exports are alleged to have taken place in 2017 and 2018 and to not have been properly licenced.
It has been reported that the Hamburg Prosecutor has commenced investigations into exports of titanium by Hansa Heavy Lift GmbH and Heinz Corleis KG.
The shipments are alleged to have been made to Crimea in breach of EU sanctions, although the original destination for the shipments was the port of Kavkaz in the Kerch Strait.
