A Pakistani-American father-son duo has been sentenced to 18 months in prison by a US court for illegally exporting banned items to the Pakistan military, particularly to its atomic energy and space agencies.
Muhammad Ismail, 67, and his 38-year-old son Kamran Khan would also have to undergo three years of supervised release after they serve their sentence for profiting from unlawful exports to Pakistan, the Connecticut US attorney said in a statement.
Muhammad Ismail and his son Kamran Khan each pleaded guilty to international money laundering in March, and were sentenced on Wednesday to 18 months in prison, the statement added.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2012 to October 2013, Muhammad Ismail and his two sons Kamran and Imran were engaged in a scheme to purchase goods that were controlled under the EAR.
They exported goods without license to Pakistan in violation of Export Administration Regulations (EAR), according to the US Attorney District of Connecticut office.
Through companies conducting business as Brush Locker Tools, Kauser Enterprises-USA and Kauser Enterprises-Pakistan, the three defendants received orders from a Pakistani company that procured materials and equipment for the Pakistani military, requesting the company obtain specific products that were subject to the EAR, federal prosecutors alleged.
When the US manufacturers asked about the end-user for a product, the defendants either informed the manufacturer that the product would remain in the US or completed an end-user certification indicating that the product would not be exported.
After the products were purchased, they were shipped by the manufacturer to the defendants in Connecticut. The products were then shipped to Pakistan on behalf of either the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, or the National Institute of Lasers & Optronics, all of which were listed on the US Department of Commerce Entity List.
The products would then be shipped to Pakistan without a license and three would then receive proceeds for the sale of export-controlled items through wire transactions.
In March 2018, Muhammad Ismail and Kamran Khan each pleaded guilty to one count of international money laundering.
In June 2017, Imran Khan pleaded guilty to one count of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. He has been released on a USD 100,000 bond pending sentencing.
No Move To Sell Land Of Loan-Defaulter Farmers: Punjab Minister
There were reports that the cooperative bank was planning to sell the land of farmers who had failed to repay their loans.
Punjab Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Thursday said that there is no move or intention to sell the land of farmers to recover dues by the State Agriculture Cooperative Bank.
"Initiating legal action against defaulters is a routine practice in all banks. This bank has also been following it and sending notices to defaulters for the recovery. But it does not mean that the bank eventually intends to sell their land," Randhawa said in a statement here.
There were reports that the cooperative bank was planning to sell the land of farmers who had failed to repay their loans.
Accusing the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal of playing politics, Mr Randhawa said that even during previous SAD-BJP government rule, legal notices were sent to farmers to sell land and arbitration proceedings initiated against defaulters.
"As on January 31, 2016, before this government took over, sale action was already underway against 30,794 defaulter farmers and arbitration proceedings to secure arrest warrants of defaulters were initiated against 41,745 defaulter farmers of all the 89 PADBs in Punjab," Randhawa said.
He added that out of 23 defaulter farmers whose land was auctioned and purchased by the PADBs themselves and still stands in the name of these banks.
He said that in 20 cases, the land was auctioned during the Akali regime.
"Land of not a single farmer has been sold by the bank since March 2017," Mr Randhawa added.
"The bank primarily effects recovery by way of persuasion and never harasses a farmer in distress. But there are many wilful defaulters who in spite of various efforts and ample time given to them have not bothered to repay loan instalments even when they have the capacity to repay," he said.
"It is evident from the fact that the bank had Rs. 1,363.87 crore outstanding against 71,432 farmers as of February 1. Of these, the bank has effected recovery of Rs. 194.74 crore from 16,469 farmers till June 30, and not sold the land of even a single farmer," the Minister added.
