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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 29 november 2017
Turkish-Iranian gold trader pleads guilty, set to testify

the then-finance director ernment witness, he add-
of the National Iranian Oil ed, has been “squirreled
Company” — in 2012 to away somewhere with FBI
discuss transferring Iranian agents in some unknown
natural gas proceeds to place” while waiting for his
a Turkish bank, and that turn to testify, which could
he spoke about paying a be as early as Wednesday.
bribe to a bank executive. The prosecution in Manhat-
Zarrab accepted responsi- tan has been major news
bility for “busting sanctions in Turkey, where President
and laundering money” Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
and would “tell the inside repeatedly asked the U.S.
story and expose the truth to release Zarrab. Turkey’s
behind all those elaborate deputy prime minister re-
lies” told by his onetime co- cently said Zarrab, who is
defendant to cover up the married to Turkish pop star
scheme, Denton said. and TV personality Ebru
In this courtroom sketch, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Denton In his opening statement, Gundes, was a “hostage”
points at defendant Mehmet Hakan Atilla, right, during opening defense attorney Victor being forced to testify
arguments of a trial, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017, in New York federal Rocco attacked the cred- against Turkey’s govern-
court.
(Elizabeth Williams via AP) ibility of Zarrab by casting ment.Earlier this year, Zar-
him as an international con rab hired former New York
By TOM HAYS conspiracy involving bribes man.Zarab’s cooperation City Mayor Rudolph Giu-
Associated Press and kickbacks to high-level agreement was a “deal of liani and former U.S. Attor-
NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecu- officials, Assistant U.S. Attor- a lifetime” that won him his ney General Michael Mu-
tors on Tuesday revealed ney David Denton said in release from a U.S. jail and kasey in a failed effort to
that a wealthy Turkish-Ira- opening statements at Atil- “shortcut back to his lavish broker a diplomatic end to
nian gold trader struck a la’s trial in New York City. life,” Rocco said. The gov- the case.q
plea deal to testify about The scheme was “so large
a vast corruption scheme that it was protected by
they say reached into the government ministers in Tur-
upper levels of the Turkish key and Iran,” Denton said.
government — a devel- Zarrab, 34, was arrested
opment that could further last year and jailed before
strain relations between entering a plea to bank
the United States and one fraud, money laundering
of its key strategic allies. and other charges in se-
Reza Zarrab will take the cret on Oct. 26. A charg-
witness stand to detail ing document unsealed on
how he and Turkish banker Tuesday alleged that he
Mehmet Hakan Atilla laun- met with banking govern-
dered Iranian oil money in ment officials — “including
violation of U.S. economic the then-governor of the
sanctions against Iran, a Central Bank of Iran and
Supreme Court wrestling with

whistleblower protection issue

By JESSICA GRESKO is being asked to decide
Associated Press whether employees who
WASHINGTON (AP) — The report problems to their
Supreme Court on Tues- company’s management
day seemed reluctant but not the commission
to broadly apply whistle- also qualify for protections
blower protections passed under the Dodd-Frank Act.
by Congress following the The Trump administration is
2008 financial crisis, sug- arguing that they do qual-
gesting those particular ify for protection, and the
protections only apply to commission said the same
people who report prob- in a 2011 rule. Businesses
lems to the government. oppose that reading of the
The question the justices law.
were wrestling with involves In court Tuesday, a number
the Dodd-Frank Act, which of justices suggested that
Congress passed to restrain the Dodd-Frank Act’s text
banks from the kind of prac- indicates that whistleblow-
tices that many blamed for er protections don’t extend
the 2008 financial crisis. Part beyond people who report
of the law protects people problems to the Securities
who report legal violations and Exchange Commis-
to the U.S. Securities and sion. Justice Neil Gorsuch
Exchange Commission said the “plain language”
from being fired, demot- of the law makes that obvi-
ed or harassed. The court ous. q