KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 31 (UPI) -- Malaysia has bowed to U.S. pressure to arrest a prominent businessman on charges of financing nuclear weapons smuggling.
In February, President George Bush alleged Kuhary Syed Abu Tahir was the "chief financial officer and money launderer" of the network. However, the Malaysian government balked at arresting him at the time since he had close ties with the son of Abdullah Badawi, the Malaysian prime minister, the Financial Times said Monday.
Tahir was arrested under the Internal Security Act, which allows suspects to be held for two years without trial.
U.S. officials suspect he also had ties to Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear arms program, who admitted to selling illicit nuclear technology to Libya, North Korea and Iran.
Malaysia's deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar denied the arrest was based on U.S. pressure, saying Tahir had been arrested because his "actions undermined Malaysia's security and economy," adding, "It exposed the country to possible threats of attacks by big powers and economic sanctions."
