Two arms brokers face UK trial over Libya weapons deals

Two arms brokers arranged illegal deals to supply ex-Soviet surface-to-air missile systems to South Sudan and fighter jets to Libya during its civil war, British prosecutors told a London court on Tuesday.

British national David Greenhalgh, 68, and Greek national Christos Farmakis, 48, are charged with 11 and 12 offences respectively of involvement in the unlicensed supply of arms between 2009 and 2016.

They have pleaded not guilty and their trial began this week at Southwark Crown Court. Farmakis has decided not to attend his trial, which is proceeding in his absence, the jury was told.

Prosecutor Edmund Burge said Greenhalgh and Farmakis had "very close connections to senior figures" in South Sudan, with Farmakis appointed as South Sudan's "honorary consul" to Greece and Cyprus.

The two defendants brokered a deal for a "complete air defence missile system", which was acquired from Ukraine for nearly $55 million, between 2009 and 2011, the prosecutor said.

South Sudan was still formally part of Sudan until it achieved independence in 2011, Burge added, meaning the semi-autonomous region was subject to a British arms embargo.

Greenhalgh and Farmakis discussed obtaining a Ugandan end-user certificate as "cover" to obscure the intended destination of the missile system, Burge said.

Burge said Farmakis was arrested in 2016 after using his email address for his job at the government-funded Greater London Enterprise to privately arrange arms deals.

Farmakis' email account forwarded an email to his boss, which led to the authorities discovering documents relating to plans to sell fighter jets and other arms to Libya in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring, Burge added.

The prosecutor said emails and other documents suggested Greenhalgh and Farmakis had arranged to supply weapons to Iran, Iraq and Syria in breach of arms embargoes.

The trial, which is due to conclude in June, continues.