Greek national on trial in UK for arms deals with Libya and South Sudan

In this photograph taken November 15, 2016, students enactment up extracurricular a schoolroom with a representation of Africa connected its wall, successful Yei, successful southern South Sudan. [Justin Lynch/AP Photo]

Two arms brokers, 1 of whom is Greek, arranged amerciable deals to supply ex-Soviet surface-to-air rocket systems to South Sudan and combatant jets to Libya during its civilian war, British prosecutors person told a London court.

Greek nationalist Christos Farmakis, 48, and British nationalist David Greenhalgh, 68, are charged with 12 and 11 offences, respectively, of engagement successful the unlicensed supply of arms betwixt 2009 and 2016.

They person pleaded not blameworthy and their trial began this week astatine Southwark Crown Court. Farmakis has decided ⁠not to be his trial, which is proceeding successful his absence, the assemblage was told.

Prosecutor Edmund Burge said Farmakis and Greenhalgh had “very adjacent connections to elder figures” successful South Sudan, with Farmakis appointed arsenic South Sudan’s “honorary consul” to Greece and Cyprus.

The two defendants brokered a woody for a “complete aerial defence rocket system,” which was acquired from Ukraine for astir $55 million, betwixt 2009 and 2011, the authoritative said.

South Sudan was still formally portion of Sudan until it achieved independency successful ‌2011, ⁠Burge added, meaning the semi-autonomous portion was subject to a British arms embargo.

Farmakis and Greenhalgh discussed obtaining a Ugandan end-user certificate arsenic “cover” to obscure the intended destination of the rocket system, Burge said.

Burge said Farmakis was arrested successful 2016 aft utilizing his email code ⁠for his occupation astatine the government-funded Greater London Enterprise to privately put arms deals.

Farmakis’ email relationship forwarded an email to his boss, which led to the authorities discovering documents ⁠relating to plans to merchantability combatant jets and different arms to Libya successful the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring, Burge added.

The authoritative said emails and ⁠other documents suggested Farmakis and Greenhalgh had arranged to supply weapons to Iran, Iraq and Syria successful breach of arms embargoes.

The trial, which is owed to reason successful June, continues. [Reuters]