PEP ... CORRUPTION TRIAL FOR EX LIBERIAN LEADER

Gyude Bryant (UID 180350) who was placed in power by regional peace brokers as a caretaker interim President after Charles Taylor (UID 3232) was forced out of office in 2003, is facing trial on corruption charges. Bryant, chairman of the Liberia Action Party, held office until January 2006 when Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (UID 364450) was returned as the newly elected President of Liberia in the country’s first democratic election. Bryant is accused of embezzling $1.3m during his tenure.

In 2003 Peter Roberts (UID 183025) was convicted in absentia of fraud amounting to more than £1m after he fled the British Isles prior to the start of his 12 week trial. Roberts was the leader of a gang who sold meat unfit for human consumption to hospitals, retirement homes, supermarkets and schools across the UK. Roberts was tracked down to Northern Cyprus earlier this summer and this month he was finally put behind bars. Roberts will now serve five years with an additional one year to run consecutively for failing to surrender to authorities. Check out Roberts’ co-accused on the Display Graph, a brief synopsis of the individual selected will appear under the graph, perhaps some of them have now served their sentences, are any of them your clients?

APPEAL JUDGE INCREASES BANKER’S SENTENCE

In May this year Ian Robert Chalmers (UID 308769) was sentenced to five–and-a-half years in jail for his part in a conspiracy to import approximately 30 kgs of cocaine from South America by using corrupt baggage handlers at Sydney International Airport. Chalmers formerly head of global banking at a NSW bank became embroiled in the conspiracy through long time friend Sean Peter North (UID 312476). North remains a fugitive and is believed to be in Argentina. Prosecutors dissatisfied with the leniency of the sentence handed down to Chalmers appealed. This month the judge in the Criminal Court of Appeal more than doubled his sentence, handing down the maximum penalty of 12 years. In July another of the accused Leslie Mara (UID 312478 ) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import cocaine and will be sentenced in September. To keep up-to-date with developments surrounding this case which involves a conspiracy to import just under US$5 million of prohibited narcotics into Australia use News-Check the profile and risk specific search engine.

VIETNAM: LAWYER GETS 29 YEARS

Le Bao Quoc (UID 691564) a former head of a law office in Ho Chi Minh City was accused and convicted of giving bribes, dispossessing properties, faking legal documents and absconding from custody. It is stated that Quoc boasted that he was able to influence the verdict in court cases because of his friendships with judicial officials and that he used this as leverage to extricate monies from gullible clients.For his crimes Quoc was sentenced to 29 years behind bars.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement network has announced that the Final Rule regarding important portions of Section 312 of the USA PATRIOT Act are effective as of 10 September, 2007, and the Enhanced Due Diligence requirements will apply as of 5 February, 2008, for correspondent accounts opened for certain foreign banks on or after that date. Accounts opened in the period between the September effective date and 5 February are not required to apply Enhanced Due Diligence until 5 May, 2008. …read more

Mohammed Atif Siddique, (UID 433215) is currently on trial in Glasgow on five charges, four under the Terrorism Act and a further charge relating to a breach of the peace. Siddique denies all charges. Arrested in April 2006, he is reported to have been in possession of articles commensurate with a person planning to commit an act of terror, including CDs and videos on bomb making, guerrilla tactics and how to use weapons. Siddique is further accused of inciting terrorism through information he posted on websites.

BANGLADESH BASED GROUP LINKED TO ATTACKS?

Indian authorities in Andhra Pradesh have pointed the finger at Harkat-ul-Jehad-i-Islami - HUJI-B - (UID 180236) a Bangladesh based Kashmiri separatist terror group as being responsible for recent attacks in southern India. Incidents in Hyderabad alone have killed over 40 people. In August 2003, World-Check profiled HUJI-B, which has links to al Qaeda and to the Bangladesh and West Bengal based terror group Asif Raza Commandos (UID 66814) which is suspected of raising funds by arms dealing and kidnapping. Check out the synopsis on HUJI-B’s profile to see their funding methods as well as those individuals associated with the group.

This month Jose Padilla (UID 70365) was convicted of helping Islamic extremists and plotting overseas acts of terror. First arrested in May 2002, he was tried alongside Adham Amin Hassoun (UID 222505) and Kifah Wael Jayyousi (UID 292859) all of whom were found guilty as charged. Padilla is alleged to have attended Al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan and jihadist training in Egypt. Sentencing will take place in December. Take a look at the verification sources on Padilla’s profile to see the complete timeline of events, from his arrest through to his initial charges which were later dropped, to his eventual conviction.

Jamal Zougam (UID 219105) is on trial as a suspect in the March 2004 Madrid bombings. He was arrested in March 2004 and formerly charged with membership of an armed group. In April 2006 he was indicted on murder and attempted murder charges relating to the Madrid bombings. He and the other accused are currently awaiting verdicts from the Madrid court. Our specialised Terrorism and Insurgency Research Unit will be monitoring events closely and will update the relevant profiles as the news becomes available.

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