Arcadi Gaydamak and others were convicted of illegally selling arms to Angola during its civil war.
A French court last week began hearing the appeals of former interior minister Charles Pasqua and other defendants, including Arcadi Gaydamak, convicted in 2009 in the Angola-gate corruption and arms dealing scandal in the 1990s. Gaydamak was sentenced in abstentia to six years in prison for his role in illegal arms deals in the affair. He was not present at the start of the appeals hearing.
The appeals hearing is due to last until early March.
Angola-gate involved $790 million in arms sales to Angola during the country's civil, contravening a UN arms embargo on the country. Gaydamak and about twenty other defendants are appealing their conviction for organizing the arms shipments.
The defense claims that the arms sales were legal.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 23, 2011
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