Forty-two politicians, businessmen, and Paris elite have been brought to court over the charges of illegal arms trafficking and money laundering in the past year. Israeli businessman Arkadi Gaydamak and his associate Pierre Falcone were handed six year jail sentences. Born in Russia, Gaydamak is thought to have fled to Russia months before the trial.
Gaydamak's trade with Angola, which began in 1993, helped to support Eduardo Dos Santos' government during a civil war with the Angolan movement known as UNITA, backed up by the US. The arsenal included 420 tanks, 150,000 shells, 170,000 anti-personnel mines, 12 helicopters and six warships.
Other men involved in the trade were Charles Pasqua, former interior minister, and Jean-Christophe Mitterrand, sone of the late president Francois Mitterrand.
Sources:
Jail terms for 'Angola-gate' guilty
(Reliability: 7)
Gaydamak sentenced to 6 years in jail
(Reliability: 8)
No comments:
Post a Comment