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Viewing cable 07PRETORIA3091, AQ KHAN TRIAL: GERHARD WISSER PLEADS GUILTY!!

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07PRETORIA3091 2007-09-04 11:29 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Pretoria
VZCZCXRO7380
OO RUEHTRO
DE RUEHSA #3091 2471129
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 041129Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1510
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1284
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0532
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI PRIORITY 0021
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 0585
RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 0180
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0143
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR PRIORITY 0118
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0213
RUEAWJC/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
UNCLAS PRETORIA 003091 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR P, T, ISN/CPI, AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM MNUC PREL KNNP SF
SUBJECT: AQ KHAN TRIAL: GERHARD WISSER PLEADS GUILTY!! 
 
REF: PRETORIA 2675 AND PREVIOUS 
 
1.  (SBU) German citizen and South African resident Gerhard 
Wisser pled guilty to unlawful manufacture of components of 
illicit gas centrifuge uranium enrichment plants intended for 
Libya and Pakistan and associated export control violations 
on 04 September in the Pretoria High Court.  In his statement 
of facts regarding his crimes, Wisser acknowleged he engaged 
in these activities in cooperation with Pakistani scientist 
Dr. Abdul Quadeer Khan, Sri Lankan businessman Buhary Seyed 
Abu Tahir and German  citizen Gotthard Lerch, former head of 
the vacuum division of Leybold Heraeus GmbH. 
 
2.  (SBU) High Court judge Joop Labuschagne, in accordance 
with the plea agreement reached between the state and the 
accused, sentenced Wisser to a total of 18 years' 
imprisonment and required him to forfeit the profits of his 
criminal activities (Rand 6 mil held domestically and an 
additional Euro 2.85 mil seized abroad).  In exchange for his 
plea, and his commitment to cooperation with future domestic 
and international investigations/prosecutions, 15 years of 
Wisser's sentence will be suspended and he will spend the 
remaining three years in "custodial supervision" (i.e. under 
house arrest). 
 
3.  (SBU) Wisser's co-conspirator, Swiss citizen Daniel 
Geiges, continues to maintain his innocence.  His trial was 
separated from that of Wisser and has been postponed until 21 
September in light of Geiges' continued ill health.  Charges 
against Wisser and Geiges' company, Krisch Engineering, have 
been dropped as redundant in the face of Wisser's guilty plea. 
 
4.  (SBU) COMMENT: Mission will forward the full text of the 
plea agreement, which includes affidavits from DoE Deputy 
Administrator William H. Tobey, Los Alamos National 
Laboratory expert Jeff Bedell and retired Oak Ridge National 
Laboratory fellow Ron Miskell, to AF/S and ISN/CPI via email. 
 A more detailed account of the court proceedings and 
subsequent media reaction will be provided septel. 
 
 
 
Teitelbaum