PEP ... JAIL FOR FORMER GOVERNOR

The former Illinois Secretary of State and Governor George Ryan (UID 15056) was convicted in April 2006 of racketeering conspiracy, mail and tax fraud, lying to FBI agents and filing false tax returns. The offences occurred during his years as an Illinois officer bearer from 1991 to 2003. The court was told that Ryan issued contracts to his good friend Illinois businessman Larry Warner, (UID 153495) and others. In return for his favourable consideration Ryan received paybacks, including vacations, gifts and money. It was also alleged that Ryan used state money and workers for his political campaigning. This month Ryan was sentenced to six and a half years in a federal prison and his friend Warner received 40 months behind bars.

ARMY TOP BRASS IN CORRUPTION PROBE

Romania’s army chief of staff General Eugen Badalan (UID 497107) and Senator Mihail Popescu (UID 346153) have come under investigation by Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors on possible graft charges. It is alleged they are among a dozen individuals who are under suspicion of involvement in irregularities in the granting of army contracts to a private company. The World-Check team is monitoring developments surrounding the investigation and will update both Popescu and Badalan’s profiles as well as those of the corresponding individuals as the story unfolds.

CZECH FUGITIVE SENTENCED IN ABSENTIA

Radovan Krejcir (UID 317969) is a Czech billionaire living in exile in the Seychelles, this month he has been sentenced in absentia by a Czech court to six and a half years in prison and slapped with a three-million-crown fine for fraud. The court also banned Krejcir from holding company directorships. He and his family have been living on the Indian Ocean Island since Krejcir ‘fled’ the Czech Republic in July 2005. He is wanted on charges of fraud and criminal conspiracy with intent to murder. He is also accused of owing the state billions of crowns in unpaid taxes from importing oil through one of his many companies. His wife Katerina Krejcirova (UID 325480) has been accused on money laundering by the State. Check out the unique Graphic Display feature, just a click of your mouse on Krejcir’s profile will reveal his network of associates and companies.

9/11 ‘MASTERMIND’ FACES US MILITARY TRIBUNAL

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (UID 41241) is among 14 terror suspects who have been transferred from CIA custody to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where they will be put on trial before a military tribunal. Mohammed was profiled in World-Check in February 2001 six months prior to the 9/11 attacks on the USA and two years before he was captured in Pakistan.

IRAQ AL-QAIDA NO2 ARRESTED

In September, reports surfaced that Hamed Jumaa Farid Al Saeedi (UID 491784) allegedly Al-Qaida’s number 2 in Iraq, had been captured by security forces just outside of Baghdad. Al-Saeedi has been accused of directing the February 2006 bombings of the Shiite shrine in Samarra as well as other acts of terror.

ASSET FREEZE IMPOSED ON TAMIL CHARITY

In our last iBRIEF we highlighted a group of Sri Lankan citizens who are being investigated by authorities in Canada for alleged links to the Tamil Tigers. It is mentioned in court papers that members of the arrested group had made use of charitable organizations to fund illicit activities on behalf of the LTTE. Last year the United Kingdom Charities Commission de-listed the charity known as Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) (UID 487070). This month Sri Lankan authorities imposed asset and bank account freezes on the charity, pending further investigations into whether the funds have been used for terror purposes.

CONTROL ORDER FOR JIHAD JACK

We first drew your attention to Joseph Terrence Thomas (UID 263089) this July when we informed you that he was appealing his conviction on terror-charges. In August a successful appeal saw his terror-related charges quashed, however the judge made him the subject of Australia’s first control order under anti-terror laws. Meanwhile, the country’s police in Makkassar, Indonesia, raided his wife’s family home, after renewed claims that she has connections to JI. Be aware that customers and business associates can change status; to detect where the risk lies World-Check advises users to conduct regular screening of their clients against the Data-File.