Washington: India-born Noshir Gowadia, a
former engineer of B-2 stealth bomber accused of selling
sensitive American defence technology to China for its cruise
missiles for USD 110,000, will face trial in a US court this
week for spying and money-laundering.
Gowadia, 66 has pleaded not guilty to 21 counts,
including conspiracy, violating the arms export control act
and money laundering.The indictment accuses Gowadia of helping
China design a cruise missile with stealth capabilities.
Gowadia a former engineer with defence contractor
Northrup Corp., is facing charges that he sold classified B-2
bomber technology to China, tried to sell the technology to
Switzerland, Israel and Germany, money laundering and filing
false tax returns.
The former engineer hid the proceeds from the
transactions by directing the payments to secret Swiss bank
accounts of foundations he set up in Liechtenstein, the
government said in recently filed court documents, the
Honolulu Star Bulletin reported.
Prosecutors allege Gowadia helped design an exhaust
nozzle for China that gives off less heat, making it difficult
for enemy infrared detectors to track the missile for which he
got USD 110,000 over two years.
Trial is scheduled to begin next month and expected to
run into summer. The government said it found evidence of the
Swiss bank accounts when federal agents raided Gowadia`s Maui
home on October 13, 2005.
However, because of restrictive disclosure laws in
Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the government said it did not
receive the Swiss bank records until December 2008 and the
Liechtenstein foundation records until last month.
Gowadia worked for Northrup from 1968 to 1986, during
which time he helped develop the B-2 bomber`s unique
propulsion system. After his employment with Northrup ended,
Gowadia continued his relationship with the U.S. military as a
private contractor.
However, following some angry dealings with the Air
Force and the Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1993, Gowadia
began to seek and solicit business internationally, the
government says.
Between 2003 and 2005 Gowadia made six secret trips
into mainland China and exchanged numerous communications to
help Chinese defence engineers design a cruise missile that is
able to evade air-to-air, heat-seeking missiles, according the
federal indictment against him.
The trial comes some four years after Gowadia`s arrest
and more than three years after his trial was originally
scheduled to be held.
PTI
