Three Germans accused of selling nuclear materiel to North Korea

HAMBURG (AFP) Aug 16, 2003
Prosecutors in Stuttgart, southwest Germany, have accused three German businessmen of attempting to export materiel to North Korea for likely use in the Stalinist country's nuclear program, Der Spiegel reports in its next issue, to be published Monday.

The weekly magazine says the German government intercepted a cargo shipment last April in Hamburg destined for North Korea including 214 aluminum tubes weighing 22 tonnes.

The tubes are a crucial element in the production of enriched uranium.

Prosecutors suspect the director of a company called Optronic, based in southern Koenigsbronn, of violating laws on arms control and export.

He was jailed in April. Two Hamburg businessmen are also suspected of having taken part in the deal.

The cargo was destined for the North Korean Nam Chon Gang company, Der Spiegel reports.

An ongoing nuclear crisis erupted in October last year when the United States accused Pyongyang of reneging on a 1994 bilateral nuclear accord by setting up a clandestine program based on enriched uranium.

North Korea responded by kicking out UN nuclear inspectors and withdrawing from the treaty. It has since claimed to have reprocessed 8,000 spent fuel rods at its nuclear plant at Yongbyon.

WAR.WIRE