Bloomberg: Germany charged a man with spying for the Iranian government and aiding the central Asian nation's conventional-arms production.
By Karin Matussek
Sept. 10 (Bloomberg) — Germany charged a man with spying for the Iranian government and aiding the central Asian nation's conventional-arms production.
A 52-year-old suspect identified only as Saeed Sadeghi E., bought raw materials, equipment and spare parts valued at 600,000 euros ($850,000) for the Iranian Defense Industries Organization for four years starting in 2002, Germany's Federal Prosecutor said in a statement today.
"The DIO is responsible for Iran's armament and uses intelligence methods to organize the supply of goods and information urgently needed to keep up the military production," the prosecutors' office in Karlsruhe said.
The U.S., Israel and their Western allies allege Iran is using a nuclear-power program as cover for atomic weapons production. Iran's government says it wants to enrich uranium for use in nuclear-power stations. Iran is subject to three United Nations Security Council sanctions for refusing to suspend the nuclear program, which Germany and others say is aimed at building a bomb and Iran says is for energy production.
Saeed Sadeghi E. backed Iran's conventional armament efforts, using a Swiss sham company to order products and pretending they were to be delivered to Switzerland or to European Union member countries. He tricked the supplier of the goods and the German government, which needs to approve exports of goods to Iran that could be used for military purposes, the prosecutor said.
Instead of shipping the goods to Switzerland, they were taken to Iran by a Bavarian transport company. Had the government known of the real destination, it would have blocked their export, according to the prosecutor.
Saeed Sadeghi E., who is from Dusseldorf and has German and Iranian citizenships, was arrested in November 2006 and released on bail in February 2007, the prosecutor said. He has been charged with acting as an intelligence agent for a foreign government and with 29 violations of exports laws. The Munich Higher Regional Court will review the indictment.
