US think tank founder charged with acting as Chinese agent

Accusers have leveled allegations against the director of a US research group, claiming that he posed as a Chinese agent and attempted to facilitate the trade of Iranian oil and weaponry.

US think tank founder charged as Chinese agent: Federal authorities claim that Gal Luft “agreed to covertly recruit and pay” an unnamed former US official to publicly promote specific Chinese policies.

The 57-year-old allegedly tried to arrange weaponry deals for clients in China, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, and Kenya.

His association with a Twitter account has refuted claims that he is an arms dealer.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan declared Mr. Luft, who holds dual citizenship in the US and Israel, to be a wanted person on Monday.

He allegedly neglected to register as a foreign agent in 2016 despite working to further Chinese interests in the US, according to officials.

He stands accused of attempting to persuade the president-elect at the time, Donald Trump, to “publicly support certain policies with respect to China” by lobbying an ex-US official who served as his adviser.

Mr. Luft allegedly delivered draft comments on behalf of the same anonymous US official to American institutions, which later appeared in Chinese media.

The Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, situated outside of Washington, DC, promotes itself as being focused on energy and US security, with Mr. Luft as its co-director. According to its website, Mr. Luft co-founded the institute, and they list former CIA Director James Woolsey as an adviser.

The prosecution has also charged him with attempting to broker arms deals without a US permit. He allegedly contributed to the sale of mortar rounds, grenade launchers, and anti-tank launchers by Chinese companies to Libya.

Additionally, he allegedly tried to sell “strike” drones to Kenya and “aerial bombs and rockets” to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“Businessman Accused of Evading US Sanctions on Iranian Oil Faces Multiple Charges, Potential Lengthy Prison Sentence”

According to federal officials, he tried to get around US sanctions on Iranian oil by ordering a friend to claim that the oil was Brazilian.

Prosecutors claim that they detained Mr. Luft in Cyprus on February 17 of this year based on US allegations and later released him on bail pending extradition.

A day later, a Twitter account with 15,000 followers in his name claimed that authorities in Cyprus detained him “on a politically motivated extradition request by the US.”

However, They have brought eight accusations against him, including three counts of illegally trafficking in arms, two counts of giving false statements to investigators, and one count each of evading oil sanctions and failing to register as a foreign agent.

If proven guilty, he may spend decades in prison.