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Malaysia coy on fate of suspected middleman
Malaysia declined to say on Saturday what would happen to the man police say confessed to a web of dealings with Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, including selling nuclear centrifuges to Iran.
| As little as possible would be my guess... |
Malaysian police released a report on Friday detailing evidence from Buhary Syed Abu Tahir, suspected middleman in Pakistanâs illicit nuclear parts trade. In the report, Mr Tahir told of a $3 million sale to Iran of nuclear centrifuge parts made in Malaysia, and how Dr Khan arranged the shipment of enriched uranium to Libya. Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar brushed off questions on Saturday about what was next for 44-year-old Tahir. Though the businessman remains free in the country, a Malaysian intelligence source said on Friday he had left his house but remained in Kuala Lumpur. The minister told reporters police would handle any US government inquiries on Mr Tahir. Mr Tahir told police of cash-filled briefcases left in a Dubai apartment and meetings in Casablanca, Morocco, Dutch-design nuclear centrifuge units airlifted from Pakistan to Libya and machine shop parts in Tripoli bought from Italy and Spain. He named British and Swiss nationals, detailed Dr Khanâs contact-building from Germany and Switzerland to Turkey and South Africa and described how a consultant of his worked at Malaysian firm Scope on a contract to make centrifuge parts.
| Sounds like he spilled his guts, at least... |
Police have absolved the company of any wrongdoing. The firm is part of publicly listed Scomi Group Bhd, which is controlled by the Malaysian prime ministerâs son, Kamaluddin Abdullah, and two other investors.
âI am delighted that the police have come out in the open about their investigation. This goes to show that whatever we have said has been totally vindicated and we hope we can put this issue to rest,â Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak told reporters on Saturday.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2004-02-22 |
