Ptech Inc. was a Quincy, Massachusetts-based provider of business process modeling software that was renamed to GoAgile in late 2003 as a consequence to the media frenzy following the consented search on December 5, 2002 by federal authorities under the auspices of Operation Green Quest. The search was related to the relationship of the company to businessman Yassin Kadi, a multi-millionaire from Jeddah who trained as an architect in Chicago.Simpson, Glenn R. "Well Connected, A Saudi Mogul Skirts Sanctions," Wall Street Journal, 29 August 2007Who's Who in the Arab World: 1981-1982 (University of Michigan: Publitec, 1981) p. 820
Business domain Describing itself as a "provider of enterprise architecture, business modeling, analysis and integration software solutions," the privately held corporation was founded in 1994, and known for its technology, which was based on a unique implementation of neural net and semantic technologies. Ptech was recognized as one New England Technology's "Fast 50" by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in 2001.Deloitte & Touche Fast 500: Technology Fast 50
The CEO of Ptech, Oussama Ziade, appeared on different television shows in the USA and has been featured on the cover of several magazines.Mass Impact: an official report on the aftermath of 9/11 on the state of Massachusetts, page 10 The company was once part of UML Partners, the consortium that was convened to develop standards for UML, the Unified Modeling Language.
Federal investigation
Ptech was thrust into the national spotlight following a consented search by U.S. law enforcement officials at Ptech’s headquarters on December 5, 2002, in connection with Operation Green Quest. The consented search was misrepresented by national news media as a raid.Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology - August 22, 2003: Wrongly Suspected Ptech ... This unfavorable national publicity resulted in the eventual closing of the company in late 2003. Former Ptech employees described Ptech as a company which encouraged diversity in the workplace that respected their cultures and traditions; they attributed the media frenzy that engulfed Ptech to the politically charged atmosphere generated by the 9/11 terrorist attack.
The Ptech investigation followed sanctions placed on Yassin Kadi, a former Ptech investor, after he was placed on a list of alleged terrorists. On October 12, 2001, the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ordered the assets of Yassin Kadi in the United States to be frozenThomas Jr., Landon "A Wealthy Saudi, Mired in Limbo over an Accusation of Terrorism," New York Times, 12 December 2008Richard C. Morais, Denet C. Tezel (24 January 2008). "The Al Qadi Affair". Forbes Magazine. Retrieved 23 October 2008. mirrorJohn Heilprin (22 October 2008). "UN expert wary of handling of suspected terrorists". Associated Press. Retrieved 22 October 2008. mirror and Federal law prohibited financial transactions involving his property. The European Union also applied sanctions to Qadi.Marty, Dick, "United Nations Security Council and European Union Blacklists," Doc. 11454 Report, Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Europe, 16 November 2007 provides hyperlinks to relevant documents, namely "Council Decision 2001/927/EC Establishing the List Provided for in Article 2(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No. 2580 on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism, 27 December 2001, "Council Common Position 2001/930/CFSP of 27 December 2001," "Council Common Position 2001/931/CFSP of 27 December 2001," etc.Posch, Albert, "The Kadi Case: Rethinking the Relationship between EU Law and International Law?" Columbia Journal of European Law, 15 Colum. J. Eur. L. F. 1 (2009), European Union, "Consolidated list of persons, groups and entities subject to EU financial sanctions," Updated 13 October 2012, http://eeas.europa.eu/cfsp/sanctions/consol-list_en.htm
Qadi's listing as a terrorist was later overturned by several European courts, and his name was removed from blacklists by Switzerland (2007),"Qadi Exonerated," Arab News, 24 December 2007. the European Union (2008 and 2010),"EU Court Annuls Funds Freeze Against Saudi Terror Suspect," EUBusiness 30 September 2010 and the United Kingdom (2008 and 2010).MacDonald, Alison. "Case Comment UKSC2." FreeLegalWeb.org.
On 13 September 2010, Yassin Kadi "succeeded in having dismissed in their entirety the civil claims brought against him in the United States on behalf of the families of the 9/11 victims."9/11-related U.S. Civil Claims Against Prominent Saudi Businessman Dismissed. , 13 September 2010. On 5 October 2012, the UN Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against al-Qaeda granted Qadi's petition to be removed from its blacklist.Associated Press, "UN removes Saudi businessman from al-Qaida sanctions blacklist," Washington Post, 5 October 2012Rubenfeld, Samuel "UN Removes Saudi Businessman from Al Qaeda Blacklist," Wall Street Journal (Blog), 8 October 2012, On 26 November 2014, the United States Department of the Treasury removed Qadi's name from its Specially Designated Nationals list.U.S. Department of the Treasury. "Counter Terrorism Designation Removals", 26 November 2014.
Notable clientele Ptech had a security clearance to work on sensitive military projects dating to 1997. The company's roster of clients included several governmental agencies, including the United States Armed Forces, NATO, Congress, the Department of Energy, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Federal Aviation Administration, Internal Revenue Service, United States Secret Service, and the White House.
Notable personnel
Yaqub Mirza, angel investor, board member.
References
External links Federal Indictment of PTech CEO Oussama Ziade