Justice Department probing Dell over Syrian PC deal

Dell says it is co-operating with probe after its PCs ended up in the hands of Syrian regime

Dell is co-operating with a US Department of Justice investigation into possible sales of its PCs to the Syrian government, the vendor said in documents released yesterday.

The New York Times reported back in May that “large amounts” of Dell computer equipment had been sold to the regime through one of Dell’s three distributors in the United Arab Emirates.

This is despite a clampdown on supply of US technology to Syria and Iran by president Obama over fears it could be used to monitor dissidents.

A letter written by Dell in July to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) – which was only released yesterday – reveals that the vendor has been co-operating with a Justice Department inquiry into the issue, Reuters reports.

“Dell continues to co-operate with the government as the investigation is ongoing,” a Dell representative was quoted by Reuters as saying yesterday. “Dell requires all resellers to comply with US trade laws and regulations, just as Dell does. Resellers of Dell products and services are contractually prohibited from selling or shipping any technology in violation of those laws.”

Dell wrote to the SEC in response to its request for more information on the issue after it read the May article by the New York Times.

In parallel with the governmental inquiries mentioned above, Dell said in the letter that it is conducting an internal investigation into the matter.

According to the New York Times article, the distributor in question, BDL Gulf FZCO, sold the equipment to a Damascus-based supplier of the Syrian government.

Last year, HP found itself in hot water after the Syrian government used HP kit, sold to it by an HP reseller, to monitor the email and internet use of opposition forces.

Computerlinks was also fined last year after its Dubai subsidiary supplied appliances from Blue Coat to the pariah state.