An oil consultant, accused of flouting a U.N. Iraqi embargo, has appeared in court accused of transferring over $500,000 to Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2001.
Iraq-born Riad El-Taher, 70, of Hillcrest Gardens, Esher, Surrey was a consultant to controversial Bula Re-sources, an Irish-backed exploration company that racked up 45m Euro losses and was Chaired by former taoiseach Albert Reynolds.
El-Taher is charged with transferring $51,988 (U.S.) on or about July 16, 2001 to an account at Fransabank, Beirut, Lebanon, controlled by the Iraqi State Oil Marketing Organisation, contrary to the Iraq U.N. Sanctions Order, 2000.
He is similarly charged with transferring $99,985 (U.S.) on or about July 24, 2001 to an account at Jordan National Bank, Amman, Jordan and $99,988 (U.S.) on or about August 2, 2001 to Fransabank, Beirut.
He is also charged with transferring $249,973 (U.S.) on or about December 19, 2001 to the Jordan National Bank, Amman.
El-Taher was bailed to return to City of London Magistrates’ Court on September 16 on the condition he resides at his recorded address, surrenders his passports to police, does not apply for any international travel documents and gives 24 hours notice to stay at his daughter’s home at Marnon Road, Hove, East Sussex.
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