POLICE ACCUSED OF SCAPEGOAT ARRESTS
Welsh police have finally brought charges following enquiries into the alleged mid-air riot on flight AEU308. After interviewing more than 140 passengers, flight crew, cabin crew, stewards and several journalists willing to act as character witnesses
for the Astraeus's employees, two brothers aged 17 and 18 were arrested early on Saturday morning and whisked down to Cardiff. The teenagers were placed in separate police cars, presumably in case these desperate felons turned upon their captors and fled into the hills. Upon arrival at their destination the two were charged with "suspicion" of causing a "riot" in the air.
The arrests are peculiar considering the fact that the six passengers originally arrested included two 37-year-olds, with the others aged 40, 42, 45 and 51. Presumably the police have insufficient evidence to charge the original detainees with any offence, which calls into question the reliability of the aircraft crew's allegations that led to their arrest in the first place.
"You are lucky if either of the two are over 5 foot 5 or weigh even 10 stone for that matter and as I have already stated have never been in any bother with the law before," said a friend of those charged. "With the profile of this case being so high, especially in today's climate, and the money been spent on helicopter escorts the police need someone to blame and since that they could never blame the airline or pilot, who
by all accounts has over reacted to a nothing situation, they have
subsequently decided to scare two young boys senseless in the hope of finding a scapegoat."
The fact that only two passengers have been charged with such a curious offence also brings into question the allegations that two separate incidents occurred on the flight - unless each brother held their own one-man riots. There is also the fact that the commercial director of Astraeus, Jonathan Hinkles, claimed that a member of the cabin crew had been physically assaulted, it is strange indeed that no charges have been brought regarding this serious offence. It is also rather peculiar that the behaviour of two slightly-built teenagers could have led the cabin crew to inform the pilot that they had lost control of the cabin and thus precipitate an emergency mayday call; it should be remembered that this action should only be taken when loss of life is
imminent.
The E-tims will watch developments with interest, meanwhile passengers are standing by their accusations that the riot claim was a ruse to divert an aircraft suffering from persistent mechanical problems.
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