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| Axis of Evil |
| Gun running to Iraq from SA probed |
| 2003-01-13 |
| Western Cape police are investigating large-scale gun-running to Iraq after detectives discovered a multi-million-dollar "shopping list" for hi-tech military equipment in the Fresnaye home of a Finnish fugitive, the Cape Argus newspaper reported on Monday. The report said the probe had been revealed by a Cape Argus investigation which also established police had not at first reported the explosive November find to national police authorities. When detectives arrested convicted fraudster Sven Peter Fryckman, hunted by the Finnish authorities to serve a jail term, they found documents showing communications between him and an Iraqi. The Iraqi, who had given a Baghdad address, appeared to have placed a detailed order for military equipment. According to a source close to the investigation, the documents in the house also implicated a well known Cape Town lawyer, alleged to have set up front companies to facilitate the purchases. The name of a prominent Somerset West businessman also appeared in the documents. Both men have been away on holiday over the festive season, but detectives are expected to interview them after their return later this month. That's very polite, not wanting to interupt their vacation. I'm sure they'll drop by the station when they return According to an article on the internet quoting Helsinki paper Ilta-Sanomat, Fryckman, a well-known Helsinki businessman, was sentenced in 2000 to 18 months in jail on charges of "aggravated dishonesty by a debtor". According to the report, Fryckman had been involved in a huge share deal scam and generated a large profit which he shifted rapidly out of the reach of the tax authorities. Fryckman fled Finland and hid in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Scammed investors, moved the proceeds overseas, then skipped. But when he sneaked back into his home country in 2001 for his father's funeral, he was again arrested. A loving, stupid con artist Earlier Fryckman had been sentenced to 30 months in prison for fraud committed in 1994, but the Finnish Supreme Court suspended the sentence pending an appeal. A career con artist The report said Fryckman jumped bail and again fled to Cape Town, where he lived a life of luxury until South African police caught him out gambling at the GrandWest Casino last November. After reading this report, it would not surprise me to find that he was trying to scam Iraq by pretending to supply weapons, taking the cash up front, and then skipping town again. Makes a nice movie plot, however you really don't want to get caught by Saddam if you con him on a weapons deal. He doesn't have a appeals process, unless you count pleading for the pain to stop. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 Fryckman's a well known con man here in Finland.He'd moved in and out of country for years while avoiding arrest,so he thought he could fool the authorities forever.He used to give interviews to Finnish media from his home in SA while being sought by the Finnish police,claiming that he was a victim of a "witch hunt".His apprehension was more due to hubris than mere stupidity. Basically,the guy's a two-bit scam artist you wouldn't want to buy a used Rolex from and that probably involves his arms deals too. |
| Posted by: El Id 2003-01-13 19:32:04 |