 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Nine to stand trial in France over corrupt arms deal
Paris, Aug 7, 2006 Eight associates and the fugitive son of former French interior minister Charles Pasqua are to be tried on corruption charges linked to state arms sales in the 1990s, legal officials said Monday. They are accused of running a system of kickbacks for the export of police equipment by the interior ministry-run company Sofremi between 1993 and 1995, during Pasqua's tenure as minister. Pasqua's son Pierre-Philippe, the French businessman Pierre Falcone and the Lebanese businessmen Iskandar and Akram Safa are all targeted by international arrest warrants over the case, in which Pasqua is also a suspect. Unless detained before the start of the trial -- the date of which has not been set -- they will be tried in absentia. Also set to stand trial are Pasqua's former diplomatic advisor Bernard Guillet, the former Sofremi executives Bernard Dubois, Bernard Poussier and Nicolas Maroslavac and the former French prefect Jean-Charles Marchiani. Pasqua's own role in the case is being investigated separately by the French authority responsible for probing offences committed by serving ministers. The former minister was placed under investigation -- one step short of indictment -- earlier this year for influence peddling as part of a probe into the United Nations' scandal-tainted oil-for-food programme in Iraq. French financial judge Philippe Courroye opened a probe in 2001 into multi-million-franc commissions paid for a series of Sofremi contracts, including one paid to the arms firm Brenco for a contract in Colombia. Falcone -- Brenco's former top executive in the region and a key suspect in the case -- currently enjoys diplomatic immunity from prosecution as a permanent Angolan representative to the UN cultural agency UNESCO. The Sofremi investigation was opened on the sidelines of a probe into arms sales to Angola in which both Falcone and Pasqua are implicated. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Nuclear Space Technology at Space-Travel.com
Israel vows to step up Lebanon offensive after deadliest day
Jerusalem, Aug 7, 2006 Israel vowed Monday to step up its offensive in Lebanon after suffering its deadliest day since launching the war on Hezbollah almost four weeks ago, as international talks on a ceasefire stalled. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
