Abu Dhabi, October 30 (Darfur24)
An Abu Dhabi court has sentenced eight defendants, including Sudanese army Chief of Staff Yasser al-Atta and former intelligence chief Salah Gosh, to life imprisonment for illegal arms trafficking and money laundering linked to weapons deals for the Sudanese army, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal convicted the defendants of trading in weapons, ammunition and military equipment without a license. It also ordered the confiscation of seized ammunition, mobile phones and communication devices, as well as the deportation of the convicted defendants after they serve their sentences, WAM reported on Thursday.
Those sentenced to life imprisonment were al-Atta, Gosh, army financial officer Othman al-Zubair, Rashid Omar Abdel-Qader Ali, Ahmed Abdullah, known as Abdullah Khalaf Allah, Ahmed Rabie Sayed Ahmed, Mohamed Fath al-Beik and Maher Abdel-Jalil.
The court also sentenced seven defendants to three years in prison for money laundering, fined each one million dirhams and ordered the confiscation of 1.545 million dirhams in seized funds. They are to be deported after serving their sentences.
Six companies were each fined one million dirhams, had their licenses and registrations cancelled, and faced the confiscation of funds linked to money laundering. Two defendants, Mubarak Ali al-Sheikh and Musab Awad al-Karim Hassan, were acquitted.
Arms deals to Port Sudan
According to details of the ruling reported by WAM, the case involved two deals to supply weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Sudanese army. One shipment reportedly included ammunition described as “Giranov”, which was to be transported by air to Port Sudan under cargo declarations listing medical equipment and supplies.
The court said the transactions involved companies, bank accounts, money transfers and cash payments within the UAE. It found that forged documents had been used to conceal the nature of the shipments, the source of the funds and their intended destinations.
According to the ruling, al-Atta requested the purchase of weapons and military equipment and took steps to obtain permission for an aircraft to land at Port Sudan airport. Al-Zubair was responsible for following up on military procurement needs and paying suppliers.
Rashid Omar was accused of coordinating the deals and arranging weapons and ammunition supplies, while Maher Abdel-Jalil acted as a financial intermediary. The ruling also described roles for Gosh, Ahmed Rabie Sayed Ahmed, Mohamed Fath al-Beik and Abdullah Khalaf Allah in coordinating transactions, facilitating approvals and arranging financial transfers.
The case details also stated that funds were transferred through the “Hawala Dar” system.
Money laundering
The court concluded that the defendants had participated in an illegal arms-trafficking and money-laundering scheme that used companies and bank accounts in the UAE to move funds linked to the deals.
The ruling said the transactions took place during Sudan’s ongoing war and involved arms supplies intended for one of the parties to the conflict. It warned that using UAE territory and financial systems for such activities could harm the country’s international relations and interests, particularly amid international restrictions on arms supplies.
UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi had referred the defendants to trial after an investigation that authorities said uncovered an organized network involved in illegal weapons and ammunition trading and money laundering linked to arms deals.
