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Fake Bomb Detector Con Artist Convicted In Uk

roamer

By roamer
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roamer Platinum Member

roamer

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Fake bomb detectors 'destroyed lives'

By Caroline Hawley & Meirion JonesBBC Newsnight

_67085654_67085653.jpgPolice said the only genuine piece of the kit was its case

A Somerset-based businessman has been convicted of three counts of fraud over the sale of bogus bomb detectors after his operation was exposed in a BBC Newsnight investigation in 2010.

This was a scam of global dimensions. James McCormick marketed his fake bomb detectors around the world, selling them in Georgia, Romania, Niger, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and beyond.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22204076

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Gulfsailor Gold Member

Gulfsailor

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I'd like to see Thai army generals defending it's purchase now that a UK court has found it to be a total scam. Somehow I don't think any comments will be forthcoming.

I am also eagerly awaiting the newspaper's story on this. Apparently in Iraq a major corruption inquiry into the purchase has so far already landed 3 high ranking officials in jail. I guess between cost of manufacturing at 50usd (includes case!) and sale price of 60,000usd there is some room for kickbacks...

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roamer Platinum Member

roamer

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I'd like to see Thai army generals defending it's purchase now that a UK court has found it to be a total scam. Somehow I don't think any comments will be forthcoming.

I am also eagerly awaiting the newspaper's story on this. Apparently in Iraq a major corruption inquiry into the purchase has so far already landed 3 high ranking officials in jail. I guess between cost of manufacturing at 50usd (includes case!) and sale price of 60,000usd there is some room for kickbacks...

Officials might have gone to jail in Iraq, but that was for taking the money, the devices are still in use according to tonight's news.

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Maestro Star Member

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23 April 2013 Last updated at 18:31 GMT
James McCormick guilty of selling fake bomb detectors

A millionaire businessman who sold fake bomb detectors to countries including Iraq and Georgia, knowing they did not work, has been convicted of fraud.

James McCormick, 56, of Langport, Somerset, is said to have made £50m from sales and sold more than 6,000 in Iraq, the Old Bailey heard.

Police said the devices, modelled on a novelty golf ball finder, are still in use at some checkpoints.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22266051

bbclogo.jpg
-- BBC 2013-04-23

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roamer Platinum Member

roamer

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The DSI investigation of the Thai purchase of the fake bomb detectors was reported and discussed in this topic: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/571172-thailands-dsi-to-file-case-over-useless-bomb-detectors/. Don't know if anybody ever got convicted in Thailand.

I would doubt if the purchase of these devices led to any convictions in LOS, deaths yes, convictions no.

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maidu Platinum Member

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Thai officials are masters of excuses and ducking issues. The officials who approved the ridiculously priced purchases, didn't even do tests on those bogus items, even when this same news broke several times in the past few years. Even if they chose to do tests, they wouldn't know how to so, because scientific methodoligy is not taught in Thailand. Thais can discuss horoscopes, ghosts and metaphysics for hours on end, but ask them to set up a truly scientific test, and you'll draw a blank.

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Scott Star Member

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Let's keep the Thai bashing to a minimum. They were not the only country duped by the bomb detectors.

Frankly, it seems to me that most militaries are really good at wasting a lot of money.

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Gsxrnz Platinum Member

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23 April 2013 Last updated at 18:31 GMT

James McCormick guilty of selling fake bomb detectors

A millionaire businessman who sold fake bomb detectors to countries including Iraq and Georgia, knowing they did not work, has been convicted of fraud.

James McCormick, 56, of Langport, Somerset, is said to have made £50m from sales and sold more than 6,000 in Iraq, the Old Bailey heard.

Police said the devices, modelled on a novelty golf ball finder, are still in use at some checkpoints.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22266051

bbclogo.jpg

-- BBC 2013-04-23

Ironically, I see that the Novelty Golf Ball Finder can be purchased online for a mere 48.97 GBP (plus P&P).

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Gulfsailor Gold Member

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Let's keep the Thai bashing to a minimum. They were not the only country duped by the bomb detectors.

Frankly, it seems to me that most militaries are really good at wasting a lot of money.

No certainly not the only country. Thailand was well accompanied by (other) very corrupt nations...

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TallGuyJohninBKK Star Member

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Let's keep the Thai bashing to a minimum. They were not the only country duped by the bomb detectors.

Frankly, it seems to me that most militaries are really good at wasting a lot of money.

I think it probably would be pretty hard to make a good case that Thailand was "duped."

Bribed, enticed, looked the other way, knowingly participated in fraud all likely would be better descriptives.

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belg Ruby Member

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who is the stupid and who is the smart one ?

the seller ? or the buyer? in believing that an empty box can actually detect anything else than a pair of stupid corrupted people filling their pockets

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maidu Platinum Member

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I'll take a trained dog over a black box any day of the week - for detecting bombs or any other difficult to detect things. For years, it's been known that trained dogs can detect cancer in a person's body.

Just because some other countries got duped, doesn't let Thailand off the hook. Even months after they were alerted to the scam (some of us knew about for years) - Thai officials kept ordering the ridiculously priced boxes. Even a snake oil salesman would blush at what's been going on behind closed doors. There outta be strict disciplinary measures taken against all who wasted tax money. First thing to do: garnish wages from those who were complicit, if they're found guily.

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Dap Platinum Member

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I'd like to see Thai army generals defending it's purchase now that a UK court has found it to be a total scam. Somehow I don't think any comments will be forthcoming.

+1 ... Never happen.

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Dap Platinum Member

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I'd like to see Thai army generals defending it's purchase now that a UK court has found it to be a total scam. Somehow I don't think any comments will be forthcoming.

I am also eagerly awaiting the newspaper's story on this. Apparently in Iraq a major corruption inquiry into the purchase has so far already landed 3 high ranking officials in jail. I guess between cost of manufacturing at 50usd (includes case!) and sale price of 60,000usd there is some room for kickbacks...

Officials might have gone to jail in Iraq, but that was for taking the money, the devices are still in use according to tonight's news.

Unbelievabe, nest pas?

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EyesWideOpen Platinum Member

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Scott, on 24 Apr 2013 - 07:24, said:

Let's keep the Thai bashing to a minimum. They were not the only country duped by the bomb detectors.

Frankly, it seems to me that most militaries are really good at wasting a lot of money.

The list of countries is like a whos who of corruption. Where Thailand went wrong was when this expose first came out, instead of admitting their mistake, they pressed on using poor Khun Porntip as a sacrificial lamb to make a statement this was a great device. Wait is this how " saving face" works?

Can at least Khun Porntip come forward and apologize ?? No need to wait for the Thai generals to apologize, I do not have that long to live.

Edited by EyesWideOpen
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visionchaser45 Advanced Member

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They should put the people who bought that thing in jail for criminal stupidity. Anyone with even a slight grip could see that a hollow box with a radio antenna and a slot to insert cards can't detect anything, other than stupidity. Maybe it could be repackaged and sold as a stupid detector, or maybe a corruption detector.

Edited by visionchaser45
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SunSeek01 Senior Member

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Yeah let me tell you what's it's like standing on the side of the road at a check point going into the Green Zone in Baghdad while some underpaid cop walks around the up armored SUV with a shoebox with a coat hanger sticking out of it! That is just about what they are. I think IQ spent about 160 million (our money no doubt) on them. Not a dog in sight, only our guards (mostly South African chaps, good on them) and their guards (Iraq Shia Muslims) having guns, mostly worn out AK's probably dealt from Hungary in the 70's.

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maidu Platinum Member

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I'm surprised and not at the same time that there's no pre-testing of products at the DSI. Plus the colonels, and generals in charge at that time far far away I guess now.

This is microcosm of across the board wasteful spending in military and gov't in general. It's other peoples' money they're spending, so of course they spend it like a bazillion shopping coupons that are about to expire. When they get caught blatantly making stupid mistakes, which is about 1% of the time, they should be compelled to compensate from their salaries. And then there's the Transportation Minister with boxloads stuffed with cash in his house. He's just the one who was caught, but had so much cash coming in from questionable dealings, he didn't even know where to stuff it. He should have had a basement with a locked door, where he could just shovel the cash down the stairs. What happened to his legal case, anyway?

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Credo Ruby Member

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It would be interesting to see if those responsible for selling the device could be charged with murder/manslaughter. If someone can show that a person was killed in an area where the bomb detector was used and it if it had been functional, it should have detected the device.

There are jurisdictional problems, but might be worth a try. The settlement for those injured in such a suit could be rather large.

If the Thai gov't was so interested in 'face' they would pursue some action--they have a lot of injured soldiers (and civilians).

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