Accused Khan Associate Too Sick to Attend Trial

An accused member of disgraced Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan’s nuclear smuggling ring might be too ill to attend his trial in South Africa, the Pretoria News reported today (see GSN, May 3).

Swiss engineer Daniel Geiges asked to be excused from the proceedings because he has colon cancer.  Geiges and German national Gerhard Wisser are scheduled to be tried next month on 10 charges of violating South Africa’s Nuclear Energy Act and Nonproliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction Act.

Authorities said in 2004 that the men “unlawfully and intentionally imported, held in transit and exported goods which may contribute to the design, development, production, deployment, maintenance or use of weapons of mass destruction without a permit.”

The Khan network is believed to have shipped nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea.

The trial had been due to begin this week.  The South African High Court postponed the case, which is expected to last months, until Sept. 4 (Zelda Venter, Pretoria News, Aug. 1).

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