Abu Dhabi's highest court has heard prosecution evidence over an alleged multimillion-dollar plot to buy military equipment and weapons through the UAE's financial systems to be sent to the Sudanese Armed Forces for use in the country's civil war.
Thirteen defendants – including a former Sudanese military intelligence officer – and six companies are facing charges of illicit trafficking in military equipment, money laundering, mediation and brokerage, and forgery of official documents in the case.
Proceedings were adjourned until Wednesday, August 12, to allow the defence to complete its pleadings, state news agency Wam reported on Thursday.
The Sudanese army is alleged to have paid $10 million in commission to the accused and a further $3 million in bribes to secure the weapons and hardware.
This included payments for materiel including Kalashnikov rifles, machineguns and grenades to be used in the army's fight against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The investigation found that the case is linked to procurement arrangements requested by the armament committee of the Sudanese government, led by army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and his deputy Yasser Al Atta, with co-ordination attributed to Othman Al Zubair Mohammed.
The scope of the charges also includes people alleged to have played roles in direction and co-ordination, including Salah Saleh, known as Salah Gosh.
Prosecution case begins
During the Abu Dhabi hearing, the prosecutors presented its arguments, including audio and video recordings, documents and financial reports, as well as the confessions of several defendants, which it stated constituted a body of proof.
The prosecution presented a video which it said detailed the planning and execution of what it described as a criminal scheme in which the UAE's territory, institutions and facilities were allegedly exploited to complete illicit military equipment deals, channel funds and conceal their proceeds through companies, bank accounts and fake documents.
According to prosecutors, the operation was carried out through two interrelated transactions.
In the first transaction, concluded outside the UAE, an agreement was reached to supply military materiel including Kalashnikov rifles, machineguns, and grenades, with a declared value of $13 million.
The second transaction was executed within the UAE using more than $2 million from the proceeds of the first deal to procure an additional shipment of ammunition. Part of this shipment was brought into the country through fraudulent means to conceal its true nature, via a private aircraft in preparation for transfer to Port Sudan.
Prosecutors said authorities succeeded in uncovering the operation, tracking financial flows and shipments, and foiling the scheme before it could be carried out. The suspects were arrested and the attempted transit of materiel to Sudan via the aircraft was prevented.
In the hearing, the prosecution said the gravity of the offences was compounded by the alleged destination of the military equipment.
It noted that the plot threatened to embroil the UAE in a conflict with which it had no connection, and exposed it to allegations of financing or fuelling that conflict, and harmed its political relations and interests.
The prosecution further stated that the investigations uncovered an organised criminal ideology aimed at turning the UAE into a hub for concluding military transactions and laundering proceeds.
It said investigations uncovered dealings between the cell members and Sudanese military commanders, political figures and businessmen, as well as individuals and entities listed on United States and Interpol sanctions lists.
Defence counsels presented their pleadings and submitted written defence memorandums to the court, arguing that certain defendants had been exploited by other accused persons to establish shell companies under their names, while the bank accounts of those entities at banks operating in the UAE were operated by the instigators to route funds used in the procurement deal.
The defence counsel for the first defendant requested an adjournment to complete his oral submissions.
