Chairman of Agroplast claims illegal arms exports charge 'nonsense' and that the cargo was spare parts for India

Published: 7/7/1999

Mr Zbynek Svejnoha, Chairman of Agroplast, has dismissed charges brought against him, that the company had been involved in an illegal deal, in which six MiG-21 fighter planes were to be exported from Kazakhstan to North Korea without permission. On March 18th 1999, Azerbaijani customs officials in Baku detained a Ruslan cargo plane, allegedly with the MiGs on board. According to Mr Svejnoha, in an interview on Czech television, the accusations are “ not true, it is absolute nonsense. This was an import of spare parts, with India as a further destination. The company had the licence, valid until May 31st, for this." Citing trade secrecy, he refused to say from whom and to whom Agroplast was to deliver the spare parts. Czech Television had published information that there were guns and rocket launchers on board the Ruslan. Mr Svejnoha also dismissed these accusations as nonsense. Mr Svejnoha and Mr Petr Pernicka, another director of Agroplast, have both been charged with illegal arms deals.

Article ID: 660