WMD: Pair 'get death threats'
2004-09-22 22:38
Vanderbijlpark - The two Randburg engineers facing charges under the Weapons of Mass Destruction and Nuclear Energy acts have received death threats, their lawyer said during their bail application in the regional court on Wednesday.
Daniel Geiges and Gerhard Wisser were arrested earlier this month and face four charges relating to the possession of a lathe, piping, and other equipment that allegedly could be used to enrich uranium for weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).
Their lawyer, Anand Choudree, said the German consulate had expressed concern about Wisser's safety.
"My fear is that if they are detained any longer, they won't live to see the trial," Choudree said.
He said he could not disclose details of the threats for the safety of the two men, but he was worried his clients would be "done in".
Choudree said that, in spite of additional submissions to the court by the State, there was still no prima facie evidence against Wisser and the State could not prove he would leave the country if granted bail.
'Prevented from seeing clients'
Wisser is a German national and his colleague, Geiges, is Swiss.
Choudree also said the model of lathe on the charge sheet could not be used to manufacture a centrifuge as was claimed.
Choudree and attorney Claudia Privato had been prevented from seeing their clients and, on one occasion, battled to convince a policeman to leave the room to ensure a private consultation, he said.
The two men were arrested as part of an international investigation into a nuclear component trafficking network for Libya's now-abandoned nuclear weapons programme.
The network is allegedly linked to A Q Khan - formerly a leading figure in Pakistan's nuclear bomb programme.
Khan is alleged to have supplied Libya, using a network of middlemen.
<[p>One of thyem, Gotthaud Lerch, had tried to get supplies from South Africa, according to a Malaysian police report.
Choudree conceded that Wisser knew Lerch, but said Wisser had volunteered this information. Wisser was paid to oversee the administration of Lerch's estate.
A Dubai-based businessman, B S A Taher, is also alleged to be part of the network.
Claimed Wisser would leave country
Earlier, the national prosecuting authority's Chris MacAdam said Wisser had split payment from Taher into three bank accounts.
MacAdam said this was to make the money difficult to detect.
He said Lerch and Wisser shared a financial manager and it was likely Wisser would use his international contacts to leave the country.
The hearing was adjourned to Tuesday next week. MacAdam undertook to write a letter to national police commissioner Jackie Selebi to raise Choudree's concerns about his clients' safety.
- SAPA