Colombia government subsidiary illegally selling German guns: Report

[Judi Lynn]

Colombia government subsidiary illegally selling German guns: Report
Mar 3, 2014 posted by Alexandra Jolly

Colombia’s state-run weapons manufacturer Indumil is illegally trading guns from Germany despite it being against the German law which prohibits the export of arms to countries in conflict, weekly Semana reported Sunday.

Indumil, the state subsidiary responsible for the legal arms trade in Colombia, has an online catalog selling German pistols and carbines despite the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) in Germany stating that “from 1993 until today no authorization has been granted for the export of such weapons or for a technology transfer to Colombia,” according to Semana magazine.

According to German trade law, weapons companies require government authorization to trade with countries where there is suspicion that the arms may be used for “internal repression or sustained and systematic violation of human rights” according to official regulations.

However, guns by the mark Walther, such as the P22 pistol are on sale via Indumil under a section entitled “imported weapons” calling into question firstly how the weapons came to be in circulation in the country and, furthermore, how it is that they are being sold by a government agency.

More:
http://colombiareports.co/illegal-german-arms-sale-colombian-government-subsidiary/

[Judi Lynn]

1. Banned German weapons being sold in Colombia

Banned German weapons being sold in Colombia
Date 01.03.2014
Author Mirjam Gehrke / cmk, sms
Editor Gregg Benzow

German law prohibits the export of weapons to crisis or conflict regions. But guns sporting the label "Made in Germany" are being sold in war-torn Colombia. Manufacturers have denied any involvement in illegal exports.

A person who wants to buy a gun legally in Colombia must be at least 25 years old, provide proof of income and a gun license and possess no criminal record. The arms trade in the South American country is a state monopoly run by the weapons manufacturer Indumil, which provides an overview of its available weapons online. Among the imported weapons listed there are also guns and assault rifles from the Ulm-based company Walther, such as the P99 pistol. They should, however, not be there.

German companies wishing to export weapons need to obtain an export permit from the German government. This permit is not granted if "the internal situation of the country concerned is in conflict," according to government rules. More specifically, the policies refer to armed internal conflicts and any suspicion that weapons are being used for "internal repression, or for sustained and systematic human rights violations." Exports to Colombia, therefore, are prohibited; the country has been mired in conflict for the last 50 years.

Criminal charges against Walther

So how has the Walther P99 come to Colombia? "We can't answer that," Manfred Wörz, the managing director of the Carl Walther company, told DW, adding that the company had not delivered any weapons, or technology, to Colombia. "We cannot explain how the weapon could have arrived on the Colombian market," he said.

More:
http://www.dw.de/banned-german-weapons-being-sold-in-colombia/a-17466820