Swiss charges a father and his two sons in nuclear smuggling case
Three Swiss engineers _ a father and his two sons _ have been charged with breaking arms export laws by aiding a Pakistani-led nuclear smuggling ring that supplied Libya's atomic weapons program, prosecutors said Tuesday. The mens' formal indictment follows almost a decade of politically-charged investigation that lifted the veil on one of the most successful international intelligence operations to stop nuclear proliferation to rogue states.
Urs Tinner, 46, his brother Marco, 43, and their father Friedrich, 74, are suspected of providing technology and know-how to the nuclear smuggling network of Abdul Qadeer Khan, the architect of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, the federal prosecutors office in Bern said in a statement.
"Based on the results of the inquiries, offenses of forgery, money laundering and pornography _ in the case of one person only _ were investigated," prosecutors said. "The criminal proceedings were further expanded to include a fourth person suspected of offenses against the War Material Act, although this person played only a subordinate role."
Prosecutors said the Tinners have agreed to request a shortened legal procedure that could ensure politically sensitive aspects of the investigation aren't discussed in court. The unidentified fourth defendant will be charged in separate legal proceedings with breaking Swiss arms exports laws, prosecutors said.
Sources:
maysville
Three Swiss engineers _ a father and his two sons _ have been charged with breaking arms export laws by aiding a Pakistani-led nuclear smuggling ring that supplied Libya's atomic weapons program, prosecutors said Tuesday. The mens' formal indictment follows almost a decade of politically-charged investigation that lifted the veil on one of the most successful international intelligence operations to stop nuclear proliferation to rogue states.
Urs Tinner, 46, his brother Marco, 43, and their father Friedrich, 74, are suspected of providing technology and know-how to the nuclear smuggling network of Abdul Qadeer Khan, the architect of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, the federal prosecutors office in Bern said in a statement.
"Based on the results of the inquiries, offenses of forgery, money laundering and pornography _ in the case of one person only _ were investigated," prosecutors said. "The criminal proceedings were further expanded to include a fourth person suspected of offenses against the War Material Act, although this person played only a subordinate role."
Prosecutors said the Tinners have agreed to request a shortened legal procedure that could ensure politically sensitive aspects of the investigation aren't discussed in court. The unidentified fourth defendant will be charged in separate legal proceedings with breaking Swiss arms exports laws, prosecutors said.
Sources:
maysville
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