Mr Tappin, president of the Kent County Golf Union, is accused of conspiring to exportdefence articles without licence or approval and aiding and abetting the attempted export of defence articles without the required licence.
As a sign of how quickly hackles can rise, take the reaction to a sensible-sounding plan by the Clinton administration to speed the approval of military-equipment sales to favoured allies who are prepared to match America's defence-export restrictions.
Briton Robert Gibson, an associate of Tappin who agreed to co-operate, was jailed for 24 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to exportdefence articles.