I don't want to start a avalance of vitriol on this guy, he even perhaps is a nice bloke, I am just curious at the timing as this export permits for ex mil vehicles has been resurrected, my guess as a knee jerk to this.
He did break the law, so whatever our nice part of our brain may think he should get whatever the punishment is. As you have pointed out the whole problem the higher up the food chain you get the less likely they will get 'busted'.
So if he didn't get punished people would be saying how come 'is he different, special'.
Overseas corruption is rampant, I recall an UK exec getting busted for supplying Land Rovers to government officials in a dusty land to get preferential contracts. The vehicles were replacement for crashed ones, the catch was the wrecked ones were always the same vehicle with the plates changed.
Everyone knew about it but I guess he annoyed someone one day and the company held him out to dry.