Home >News > 2005 - UNI-ARAB ENGINEERING AND OIL FIELD SERVICES Settles Charges

UNI-ARAB ENGINEERING AND OIL FIELD SERVICES, DIRECTOR AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SETTLE EXPORT CHARGES

The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced that Uni-Arab Engineering and Oil Field Services (Uni-Arab), Managing Director Nureddin S. Sehweil, and Assistant Managing Director Jaime Radi Mustafa of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, have paid civil penalties totaling $170,000 to settle charges that the respondents violated the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) between November 2000 and July 2003.

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) charged Uni-Arab with nine violations, Mr. Sehweil with two violations, and Mr. Mustafa with six violations. The settlement with Uni-Arab concerns, in part, charges by BIS that in November 2000, Uni-Arab caused the re-export of oil field chemical testing equipment supplies to Libya without the required Department of Commerce export license. The oil field chemical testing equipment exported to Libya was, at that time, controlled for foreign policy reasons.

In addition, BIS charged that, between October 2002 and July 2003, Uni-Arab, Sehweil, and Mustafa aided Yaudat Mustafa Talyi, in violating a Temporary Denial Order in place against Talyi in Slidell, Louisiana. BIS also charged that all three respondents made false statements to the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement in the course of BIS Administrative Enforcement Proceedings by denying any exports had been made to Libya. Uni-Arab has paid a civil fine of $95,000 and received a five year of denial of export privileges. Sehweil has paid a civil fine of $20,000 and received a three year denial of export privileges. Mustafa has paid a civil fine of $55,000 and received a five year denial of export privileges. All denial of export privileges are suspended and will be waived provided no violations occur during the one year from the date of the order.

Temporary Denial Orders are issued by the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement, denying any or (typically) all of the export privileges of a company or individual to prevent an imminent export control violation. These orders are issued ex parte for a renewable 180-day period and restrict not only the right to export from the United States, but also the right to receive or participate in exports from the United States.

Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Wendy L. Wysong commended Houston, Texas Resident Agent in Charge Richard Modesette for his work on this investigation.