UAE sentences 8 to life in prison over Sudan arms trafficking, money laundering

The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal has brought the case of an illicit weapons and ammunition trafficking and money laundering network to a close, convicting several defendants in a case that revealed a network in which arms deals, commercial companies, bank transfers and cash payments were intertwined in the supply of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Sudanese Army and the concealment of the true nature, sources and destinations of the funds.

Those sentenced to life imprisonment are Rashid Omar Abdul Qadir Ali; Salah Abdullah Mohammed Mohammed Saleh, known as Salah Gosh; Ahmed Abdullah, known as Abdullah Khalafallah; Ahmed Rabie' Sayed Ahmed; Mohammed Fath Al Beik; Yasser Abdulrahman Al Atta; Othman Al Zubair; and Maher Abdul Jalil. The court also ordered the confiscation of the seized ammunition, mobile phones and communications devices used in the crime, and the deportation of those convicted from the UAE after serving their sentences.

The court further sentenced Rashid Omar Abdul Qadir Ali; Salah Abdullah Mohammed Mohammed Saleh, known as Salah Gosh; Ahmed Abdullah, known as Abdullah Khalafallah; Maher Abdul Jalil Mohammed Abdul Jalil; Othman Babiker; Khalid Yousuf Mukhtar; and Ahmed Khalafallah Abdullah to three years' imprisonment each. Those subject to fines were also ordered to pay AED1 million each for the offence of money laundering.

The court ordered the confiscation of AED1.545 million from the seized funds and the deportation of the convicted individuals after serving their sentences.

The court also fined each of the following companies AED1 million for money laundering: Rashed Omar Brokerage Company; Portex Trade Limited; Apollara Electronics Trading Company; Yellow Sand Trading Company; Wardat Al Masarra Trading Company; and Sudamina – Free Zone. It further ordered the cancellation of their licences and registrations and the confiscation of funds under attachment and proceeds derived from the money laundering offence.

Mubarak Ali Al Sheikh and Mus'ab Awad Al Karim Hassan were acquitted of the charges brought against them.

Two deals to supply weapons, military equipment, ammunition to Port Sudan

The grounds of the judgment established that the defendants had traded in weapons, ammunition and military equipment without a licence or authorisation from the competent authority. They brought Goryunov-type ammunition into the UAE in preparation for its transportation by air to Port Sudan, while misrepresenting the aircraft's cargo as medical equipment and supplies.

Payment for the military equipment was made within the UAE through bank transfers, in addition to cash payments made towards the value of the deals.

The court detailed the roles played by the defendants in carrying out the arms deals, foremost among them Rashid Omar Abdul Qadir Ali, who played a central role in concluding and executing the deals and coordinating among the parties involved.

Through his company, Rashid Omar handled procedures for supplying weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the Sudanese Army and received funds within the UAE earmarked for payment, including approximately AED8 million in cash from Maher Abdul Jalil as part of the value of one of the deals.

The judgment established that Yasser Al Atta, Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, and the official responsible for armament, requested the purchase of the weapons and military equipment and took steps to obtain a landing permit for the aircraft at Port Sudan Airport, while knowing that the deal had been concluded on UAE territory.

The court also established that Othman Al Zubair, the Sudanese Army's financial official responsible for following up on armament requirements, inspecting shipments and settling suppliers' dues, paid the sums due under the weapons, ammunition and military equipment deals and delivered them to Maher Abdul Jalil through the Hawala Dar system, despite knowing that the defendants were not authorised to trade in weapons within the UAE.

According to the grounds of the judgment, Maher Abdul Jalil acted as an intermediary and the financial arm in the deals, serving as a link between those involved and Othman Al Zubair. He managed the movement of funds through bank accounts and companies associated with him and delivered approximately AED8 million in cash to Rashid Omar within the UAE as part of the value of one of the arms deals.

The court further established that Khalid Yousuf Mukhtar, former director of Salah Gosh's office at the Sudanese Intelligence Service, received the commission allocated to Salah Gosh from the deal.

The judgment also found that Ahmed Rabie' Sayed Ahmed acted as an intermediary to facilitate Rashid Omar and his company's obtaining approvals from Sudanese military leaders for the supply of weapons and military equipment. He participated in meetings with Salah Gosh, Abdullah Khalafallah and Rashid Omar at Salah Gosh's residence to follow up on the implementation of the first deal.

Ahmed Rabie' also informed Rashid Omar of the Armament Committee's decision concerning the second deal. The court concluded that his involvement was intended to secure a financial benefit.

The court further established that Mohammed Fath Al Beik, a former adviser to the Sudanese Minister of Finance, connected Rashid Omar with Othman Al Zubair and Ahmed Rabie' and assisted in securing the approval of Rashid Omar's company as a supplier to the Sudanese Army, despite the company not operating in the field of arms supply. He received AED146,000 for his role in the first deal.

The grounds of the judgment also detailed Abdullah Khalafallah's role in the arms deal and his participation in meetings held with Salah Gosh, Rashid Omar and Ahmed Rabie' to follow up on the implementation of the first deal. The judgment also cited his association with Portex Trade Limited, which was used in financial transactions connected with the deal.

It was further established that his brother, Ahmed Khalafallah, received AED1.85 million from the value of the first deal despite knowing that neither he, his brother nor the company held a permit or licence to trade in military equipment within the UAE.

Arms deals, money laundering endangered UAE interests.

The court concluded that the convicted individuals had participated in an integrated scheme for the illicit trafficking of weapons, ammunition and military equipment. Forged documents, companies and bank accounts in the UAE were used to channel funds relating to the arms deals and conceal their sources and destinations, in addition to laundering proceeds derived from those activities.

The court noted that the arms deals were conducted against the backdrop of the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan and for the benefit of one of the parties to the conflict.

It found that the use of UAE territory and its financial system for such activities is liable to harm the UAE's relations with the international community and endanger its interests, in light of the relevant international restrictions on arms supplies.

The court considered the acts relating to the arms deals, forgery and the use of forged documents to form part of a single criminal enterprise, while treating money laundering as a separate offence.

Defendants referred to trial

UAE Attorney-General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi had ordered the defendants to be referred to trial after investigations and technical and financial evidence uncovered an organised network engaged in the illicit trafficking of weapons, ammunition and military equipment and in laundering money linked to arms deals through companies and bank accounts in the UAE.