‘Missing witness’ details emerge in twist for investigation into alleged Biden corruption

The chief of a US think tank, who has accused US President Joe Biden and his son Hunter of corruption, is facing several charges of corruption himself, as well as arms trafficking and sanctions violations.

Gal Luft, a 57-year-old who holds dual US-Israeli citizenship, was on the run as a “fugitive” after skipping bail in Cyprus in April where he had been arrested and was awaiting extradition to the US.

Luft was the “missing witness” the House Oversight Committee wanted to call as part of its investigation into alleged corruption by the Bidens.

He faced charges in the US, including failing to register as a foreign agent, arms trafficking and violating sanctions on Iran. These charges were made public this week when an indictment was unsealed.

READ MORE:
* Meng Wanzhou can return to China, admits helping Huawei conceal dealings in Iran
* Huawei says it did not try to steal US robotic technology secrets
* China tells US to stop ‘unreasonable crackdown’ on Huawei

The US district attorney for the southern district of New York (SDNY), Damian Williams, announced the charges, saying Luft “engaged in multiple, serious criminal schemes”.

“He subverted foreign agent registration laws in the United States to seek to promote Chinese policies by acting through a former high-ranking US government official; he acted as a broker in deals for dangerous weapons and Iranian oil; and he told multiple lies about his crimes to law enforcement.”

In an earlier video published by the New York Post, Luft denied wrongdoing and claimed he was arrested to stop him testifying to the House Oversight Committee.

Luft reportedly said he skipped bail in Cyprus as he did not believe he would receive a fair trial in a New York court. The indictment unsealed on Monday described him as a “fugitive”.

The House Oversight Committee sought Luft for testimony because they believed he had knowledge of alleged Biden corruption due to his connections with Chinese organisations also allegedly involved.

“The Justice Department has had information on the Bidens’ corrupt schemes for years and has done nothing but cover up for the Bidens,” Republican James Comer, chairperson of the committee, said in a statement issued Wednesday.

“We definitely want to hear more about these allegations. Gal Luft was interviewed by the FBI and allegedly provided information about the Bidens and CEFC,” he added, referring to the Chinese company.

“The House Oversight Committee intends to obtain these records at the FBI.”

US Democrats and their allies accused Comer and the committee of falling for a con.

“If you thought James Comer couldn’t drop the ball anymore, think again,” the Congressional Integrity Project, an outside liberal group formed to defend the White House from GOP investigations, said in a statement.

“Time and time again Comer hypes up his bombshell evidence, and each time, his evidence is refuted, and his house of cards continues to crumble,” the group added.

On the other hand, Republicans were crying foul.

“No one should be surprised here. I don’t trust the DOJ or the FBI. They are trying to silence our witnesses. This is a way to do that,” Republican Nancy Mace, a member of the committee, told Fox News.

Luft was the co-director of the Maryland-based Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, and in a statement they said: “Gal is a man of total integrity and honesty. We are confident in his innocence.”