A new development in Michael Flynn case: the Reza Zarrab trial will be going on without Reza Zarrab.
According to multiple reports, Mueller has been investigating Michael Flynn in connection with Turkey's push to get the US to release Reza Zarrab instead of trying him on money-laundering charges (which could also implicate top leaders in the Turkish government).
Zarrab was alleged to be involved in money-laundering, in an effort to get around US sanctions on Iran. The trial was supposed to start last week, and then got postponed till Monday. Meanwhile, Reza Zarrab is being held at some unknown location after being removed from the Federal Correctional Center where he was being held pending trial -- and it is believed he is in the hands of the FBI and may be cooperating with the Mueller investigation.
The new wrinkle is that Reza Zarrab's name has now been removed from the trial roster, leaving only the banker who was his co-defendent. Where is Zarrab and who is he talking to? The odds are even greater that he's working with Mueller in the investigation of Flynn.
https://www.voanews.com/a/trial-turkish-iranian-trader-to-start-without-main-suspect/4136256.html
Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan has personally lobbied the U.S. to release Zarrab, raising questions that Erdogan and other Turkish official are worried Zarrab could implicate them with bribery and corruption.
SNIP
In an Oct. 30 court filing, Victor Rocco, an attorney for Atilla, Zarrab’s co-defendant, wrote that it appeared “likely that Mr. Atilla will be the only defendant appearing at trial.”
Eric Jaso, a former federal prosecutor now a partner at the Spiro Harrison law firm in Short Hills, New Jersey, said the absence of Zarrab’s lawyers from court proceedings could mean Zarrab is cooperating with the government.
Adding to the mystery, the federal judge overseeing the case dropped Zarrab’s name from the title of the case in an order issued Monday and replaced it with Atilla’s name.
The title change suggests Atilla will be the only defendant on trial Monday, Richman said.
