S. African Man Charged in Khan Nuke Case
The head of a South African engineering firm has been charged with nuclear trafficking, as part of the fallout (little nuke joke there) from the Abdul Qadeer Khan investigations.
Johan Meyer, 53, made a brief appearance at Vanderbijlpark Magistrates Court on charges of violating South Africa’s Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction Act and Nuclear Energy Act. He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody pending a bail hearing Sept. 8.
Details were sketchy but the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria said Meyer’s arrest was linked to international investigations into the network of Abdul Qadeer Khan, disgraced founder of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program who admitted in February to passing nuclear technology to other countries.
The charge sheet said Meyer is accused of illegally importing, manufacturing and exporting materials between Nov. 21, 2000 and Nov. 30, 2001 that “could contribute to the design, development, manufacture, deployment, maintenance or use of weapons of mass destruction.”
The document cites a lathe manufactured by the Spanish-based company Denn, for which Meyer allegedly did not have the necessary permit from the South African Council for the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The document also said Meyer, who was arrested Thursday, was in possession of material, equipment and plans for the design and use of gas centrifuges, used to enrich uranium.
Meyer’s lawyer, Heinrich Badenhorst, told the South African Press Association his client is accused of manufacturing banned items at his engineering company in a largely industrial area, about 100 kilometres southeast of Johannesburg.
“At this stage, we deny it,” Badenhorst was quoted saying.
Abdul Minty, chairman of the South African Council for the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, said the arrest follows an investigation into a number of companies and individuals in co-operation with other countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“There has been a recovery of items alleged to have been used in the contraventions,” he said in a brief statement issued late Thursday.
Minty refused to elaborate.