Bulgarian businessmen face trial over illegal arms trade with Sudan

SOFIA, Jan 21, 2005 (Khorizont Radio) — The trial of those involved in the illegal export of military equipment from the Beta-Chervyan Bryag machine-building enterprise to the embargoed state of Sudan, began at the Pleven Okrug Court.

The trial is taking place behind closed doors, because the materials contain state secrets. Our correspondent Tsetska Nikolova reports:

The case has been postponed twice because of procedure violations. Those on trial are the former Beta Executive Directors Ruslan Ivanov and Lyudmil Georgiev, and Nikolay Kratunov, chairman of the [?Rik] trade-economic cooperative in Kazanluk, through which the export of the equipment has been carried out.

The three are accused of illegally exporting dual-purpose goods, major embezzlement, and forging documents.

The judges decided that the trial will take place behind closed doors, in order to protect state secrets, because the material that will be discussed contains classified information.

Some 109 witnesses and 15 experts will be questioned during four court sessions. This is Tsetska Nikolova reporting from Pleven.

Material provided by the BBC Monitoring Service, original text in Bulgarian.