A Fijian citizen has been arrested following allegations that he was trying to obtain a restricted missile part in the United States. William Gulshan Ali, a former Fiji

by jyoti pratibha, suva

William Gulshan Ali

A Fijian citizen has been arrested following allegations that he was trying to obtain a restricted missile part in the United States.

William Gulshan Ali, a former Fiji Airways aircraft engineer, worked and lived in New Zealand. He worked for Eagle Airways in New Zealand as a licensed aircraft engineer in support of Air New Zealand’s domestic services.

According to information obtained by the Fiji Sun, Mr Ali also ran an unregistered private company that buys and sells aircraft parts.

He informed investigators at Homeland Security Investigations that he was introduced to a Chinese client who sent him money to procure specific aircraft parts from the US.

It is believed that Mr Ali then sent one of his contacts in the US US$15,000 to purchase accelerometers. He informed investigators that at the time of purchase, he was not aware that he was purchasing prohibited and controlled missile parts.

When his US contact took the money but started to elude Ali, he then travelled to America to find him and to get the items.

According to information, Mr Ali travelled to the US, met his contact and got the parts. He was to travel to Hong Kong when he was arrested and informed that he had allegedly breached the Arms Export Control Act.

Mr Ali’s Chinese contact in the US had been under the radar of security forces for some time and it is believed that Mr Ali is cooperating with them by sharing his emails and information.

It is believed that Mr Ali was duped by his contact into purchasing restricted missile parts.

He has been detained since April 11 and is awaiting his arraignment this week where he will be formally charged. A court date is expected to be announced soon after.

Mr Ali’s Visa has been revoked and he has to wait for 30 days for Homeland Security to put together a case and present him in court.

He is currently being represented by Nancy Tenney of the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Seattle- the American equivalent of Legal Aid. The Fijian Embassy in Washington D.C. is keeping close tabs on Mr Ali’s well-being and have been providing him with needed legal advice. Edited by Nemani Delaibatiki

Feedback: jyotip@fijisun.com.fj