Document Controversy Causes Setback in Lerch Trial

German prosecutors suffered a major setback yesterday in their case against a engineer accused of aiding Libya’s now-defunct nuclear weapons program, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, May 24).

Presiding judge Michael Seidling stopped the trial yesterday, saying prosecutors and investigators possessed documents “about which the court knew nothing.” He said this put the fairness of the trial into doubt.

The trial of Gotthard Lerch, charged with violating export laws by assisting Libya in its acquisition of uranium enrichment equipment between 1999 and 2003, began in March.

Seidling said delays in handling requests for legal assistance from outside Germany had also damaged the proceedings (Associated Press/Gulf News, July 27).

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