Minister Michael Ahern responds to concerns about illegal Arms Brokering

The Minister for Trade and Commerce, Michael Ahern TD, to-day (Thursday 28^th October 2004) responded to concerns raised in relation to recent newspaper reports alleging the involvement of an Irish-registered company in illegal arms deals involving Sudan.

Minister Ahern explained that the original newspaper article alleged that a British businessman was involved in illegal brokering activities relating to the sale of arms to Sudan, in breach of EU and UK laws. The article also suggested that that an Irish registered company, owned by the British businessman, was involved in the financing of the deal.

Responding to the information in these reports Minister Ahern asked officials in his Department to carry out an investigation of the allegation in relation to the role of the Irish-registered company.

Minister Ahern said “As a result of that investigation, it was determined that the Irish company is dormant and has never traded since its establishment in 1990. Moreover, the British businessman is not the owner of company nor was there any evidence he had any relationship with, the Irish company. On the basis of this investigation, I am satisfied there is no involvement in illegal brokering activities by an Irish company,”

The Minister added that implementation of the recommendations of the recent independent review of Ireland’s export controls is proceeding.

“Consideration and implementation of the report’s recommendations is being addressed within the framework of an inter-Agency Group, chaired by Forfas, involving the Departments of Enterprise Trade and Employment, Foreign Affairs, Environment and Local Government, Defence, Justice, Equality and Law Reform, together with the Revenue Commissioners”.

The review proposes a number of areas in which the Irish export licensing system can be modernised and strengthened including;

• Introduction of new primary legislation to govern Irish military exports, and filling a number of gaps in the Irish regime
• enhanced co-operation between the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the other agencies with a role in the area including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Customs
• better use of new technology including introduction of web based export licence applications
• greater preventative enforcement through information provision to all actual and potential exporters about the requirements of export licenses, particularly in the case of Dual-use Goods where exporters might be unaware of their obligations
• ensuring that relevant exporters have good in-company compliance procedures rather than detailed item auditing by the authorities
• publication of an annual report on export licensing activity, including an aggregate value of military exports, with this annual report laid before the Oireachtas.

“The up-dating of our national export control legislation, to include controls on arms brokering, is one of the key recommendations of the Forfas review and I plan that proposals regarding this legislation be brought to Government shortly,” Minister Ahern concluded.

ENDS/TC120