New Delhi, February 20
A Bangalore-based firm, which has reportedly been mentioned in a US court records in connection with a case involving an Israeli businessman accused of being a middleman in the nuclear black market, today said it dealt with him at least three years ago for acquiring sound and vibration equipment for auto companies only.South Africa-based Asher Karni faces felony charges of exporting nuclear bomb triggers to Pakistan. But court files in the case also include e-mail exchanges between him and Raghavendra Rao of Foretek Marketing Ltd, saying that the Indian businessman was trying secretly to buy material for two Indian rocket factories.
“I closed deals with him and his company three-four years back,” Rao, Foretek Marketing Director, told PTI from Bangalore over phone. He denied that the dealings had anything to do with supplying equipment to two Indian rocket factories.
Rao said Karni had got in touch with his company on his own way back in 1998-99 as “we are representing certain foreign companies”.
“But we closed dealings with him as we were not making much progress,” Rao said, adding that the two had exchanged e-mails the last time three-four years ago. Foretek had earlier asked Karni for quotations on certain sound and vibration equipment, he said.
A report from Washington by AP said that Rao’s e-mails from India asked Karni to procure three kinds of high-tech equipment while concealing that they were meant for the two rocket labs. Quoting prosecutors, it said they found his e-mails while searching a laptop computer and six computer discs Karni had when he was arrested.
— PTI
