Russian Arms Dealer Bout Takes Stand in Thai Court, AP Says
Michael Heath
“I didn’t do anything wrong in Thailand. I have never been to Colombia or the United States,” Bout, 41, told the court at the start of his testimony.
Bout is accused of supplying arms to terrorist groups after he was apprehended in Bangkok earlier this year allegedly arranging a deal to sell millions of dollars worth of missiles and rocket launchers.
The buyers were U.S. undercover agents whom Bout believed were with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, a Marxist guerrilla group that has fought Colombian authorities for 40 years. Bout controls as many as 50 aircraft, according to Amnesty International, and specializes in delivering arms around the world.
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Last Updated: December 22, 2008 00:48 EST