New Delhi: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Aramco, the world’s largest oil company’s senior executive was arrested in India in July for carrying a satellite phone without permission from authorities while on vacation, local media reported on Wednesday.
62-year-old Fergus MacLeod, head of investor relations, was arrested on July 12 by Indian authorities from a hotel in the Valley of Flowers National Park, Chamoli, Uttarakhand.
MacLeod was found to possess a satellite phone, a device that could be used anywhere in the world and in any geographical area, regardless of distance from cell towers.
After the 2008 Mumbai attacks where terrorists used satellite phones, it became illegal for foreign nationals to own and operate satellite phones in India without the permission of the government.
According to Financial Times report, Fergus said he had been unaware of the ban and had passed through two Indian airports without being stopped by staff.
It is reported that, Fergus had bought a satellite phone in UK in 2017 and usually use it when traveling in remote areas of Saudi Arabia in case of emergency in an area with poor mobile signal.
Fergus MacLeod was imprisoned in the town of Chamoli until July 18, when he was released on bail. He then pleaded guilty in court on July 27, paying a fine of Rs 1,000.
Fergus is a graduate of Oxford University and has previously worked in a number of roles in the finance and energy sector including at Deutsche Bank.
