Prosecutors in Kiel, northern Germany, have charged five managers of the arms manufacturer Sig Sauer on suspicion of the unlicensed export of arms to Colombia.
The charges arise out of the export of 36,000 pistols to Colombian police, exported via a US subsidiary.
Reports state that the investigation started in 2014. Prosecutors are seeking custodial sentences and a corporate fine of €12 million.
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has obtained a criminal fine of €50,000 against an unnamed Dutch freight solutions company.
The company had sought to ship radar equipment for Sukhoi jet fighters from Malaysia to Russia. The consignment was intercepted at Schiphol Airport. The sale was in breach of both European export controls, as the products were included on the EU’s Military List, and in breach of Russian sanctions which would have prohibited the granting of an export licence.
No licence had been applied for.
An individual was acquitted of a related offence.
It has been reported today that a plea deal has been reached for the final two defendants in the Italian prosecution of arms exports to Libya and Iran in breach of EU sanctions and export controls.
Mario Di Leva negotiated 3 years and 8 months of imprisonment and a fine of €8000, and for Annamaria Fontana the sentence was 3 years and 6 months and a fine of €7000.
See our earlier post for the plea deal for the first defendant.
As part of the ongoing prosecution of three Italian nationals for arms exports to Libya and Iran in breach of EU sanctions, it has been reported today that one of the defendants, Andrea Pardi, has pled guilty in return for a two-year custodial sentence.
The trial of the remaining defendants is due to start in June 2017.
The District Court of Noord-Holland has today fined a fine of €40,000 on the Dutch airline KLM for its role in the unlicensed export of goods on the EU’s military list from the South African to Ecuador via the Netherlands.
The judgment noted that subsequent investigation had revealed 74 shipments where the required reporting had not been complied with.
A District Court in the Netherlands has imposed a €50,000 fine on logistics provider for its part in the unlicensed export of military goods to Saudi Arabia.
No export licence had been applied for. The value of the contracts is stated to have been US$14 million.
The Court of Appeal in Hertogenbosch has upheld and extended the conviction and sentence imposed on an individual for breaches of the EU’s Liberian sanctions.
Amongst other offences, the defendant had supplied arms and munitions to the government of Charles Taylor in breach of sanctions.
At first instance he had been acquitted of some charges and sentenced to 8 years in jail. Both the defendant and the public prosecutor appealed.
On appeal all charges were found proven and a sentence of 19 years was imposed.
It has been reported today that the Italian authorities have arrested four individuals, including the CEO of the company Società Italiana Elicotteri.
The individuals are Andrea Pardi, as well as married couple Mario Di Leva and Annamaria Fontana and their son.
The exports are reported to have taken place between 2011 and 2015 and relate to assault rifles, helicopters and surface to air missiles.
