Planes for mercenaries fly through Malta
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Planes for mercenaries fly through Malta
Planes for mercenaries fly through Malta, reveals S. African newspaper
By Malta Media News
Aug 27, 2004, 08:43
Sierra Leone police are investigating four airlines registered in the
west African state since 2002 that have never flown there, amid
concerns they are fronts for terror groups such as al-Qaeda. Flight
records examined by police show that the airlines favoured Middle
Eastern destinations, such as Jordan and Lebanon. Flight enthusiasts
monitoring the sales of airplanes have posted photos on various
websites of Air Leone planes in destinations such as Malta.
www.sundaytimes.co.za reported that a British national known as Paddy
McKay registered Star Air, Air Universal, Heavy-Lift Cargo and Air
Leone in 2002, shortly after the decade of civil war ended in Sierra
Leone, Fodie Daboh, chief superintendent of the crime investigations
department of the national police, told AFP by telephone from
Freetown.
"After the war we were looking around everywhere for investors,
hoping to start airlines coming here and help to rebuild the
country," said Daboh. "When he came, nobody refused."
Ranked at the bottom of the UN Human Development Index, post-conflict
Sierra Leone embodies the type of failed state that is most
attractive to groups such as al-Qaeda, where despite the presence of
thousands of UN peacekeepers it is relatively easy to engage in
clandestine activities.
"We are worried that these airlines are fronts for al-Qaeda - that is
the bottom line," said Daboh, adding that police would call on
Interpol in coming days to assist the investigation.
"They are involved in al-Qaeda business or al-Qaeda issues and are
flying our flag - what if they are used in terrorist activities?"
said Daboh. "We will be blamed and then blacklisted."
McKay paid 5,000 dollars (4,100 euros) for each of the airline
registration certificates, telling civil aviation officials he was
keen to start flights between Freetown and other destinations, the
African Sunday Times reported.
"They posed as genuine business people when they came to Sierra Leone
to register their airlines and were issued with certificates," said
John Bongor, the acting director of civil aviation, who with four of
his colleagues has been detained as part of the investigation since
the weekend.
"But they never once flew in or out of Sierra Leone," said Daboh.
None of the airlines have offices or staff in Freetown, and the
contact addresses given by McKay were fake, said Daboh.
Police have thus far been unsuccessful in tracking McKay down,
although an agent working in Freetown on his behalf has co-operated
with the investigation.
British Transport Minister Tony McNulty in January had banned Star
Air and Air Universal from flying in or out of Britain, but gave no
reason for including the companies on an international blacklist.
"Up to July this year they did not show up so I then issued a notice
to them, suspending their licenses," added Bongor. "I have now
cancelled their operation certificates but in spite of this, I have
information that they are still flying."
A watchdog group known as the Association for a Clean Ostend, which
monitors the use of the Netherlands' Ostend Airport for arms and
drugs smuggling, has reported that Air Leone was once known as Ibis
Air transport, an airline operated by Executive Outcomes and its
sister company Sandline International.
Mercenaries from the South Africa-based Executive Outcomes, who
fought on the side of the beleaguered national army, were considered
crucial to ending Sierra Leone's civil war.
The airlines are not the only potential link between Sierra Leone and
the terror network of Osama bin Laden.
According to a recently leaked document from the UN-backed war crimes
court in the west African state, known high-level al-Qaeda operatives
dealt in Sierra Leonean diamonds, using next door Liberia as a
conduit.
The evidence provided by the court, however, was reviewed and
rejected by the US commission investigating the September 11 attacks
on the United States as not "substantiated".
(Source: www.sundaytimes.co.za)
By Malta Media News
Aug 27, 2004, 08:43
Sierra Leone police are investigating four airlines registered in the
west African state since 2002 that have never flown there, amid
concerns they are fronts for terror groups such as al-Qaeda. Flight
records examined by police show that the airlines favoured Middle
Eastern destinations, such as Jordan and Lebanon. Flight enthusiasts
monitoring the sales of airplanes have posted photos on various
websites of Air Leone planes in destinations such as Malta.
www.sundaytimes.co.za reported that a British national known as Paddy
McKay registered Star Air, Air Universal, Heavy-Lift Cargo and Air
Leone in 2002, shortly after the decade of civil war ended in Sierra
Leone, Fodie Daboh, chief superintendent of the crime investigations
department of the national police, told AFP by telephone from
Freetown.
"After the war we were looking around everywhere for investors,
hoping to start airlines coming here and help to rebuild the
country," said Daboh. "When he came, nobody refused."
Ranked at the bottom of the UN Human Development Index, post-conflict
Sierra Leone embodies the type of failed state that is most
attractive to groups such as al-Qaeda, where despite the presence of
thousands of UN peacekeepers it is relatively easy to engage in
clandestine activities.
"We are worried that these airlines are fronts for al-Qaeda - that is
the bottom line," said Daboh, adding that police would call on
Interpol in coming days to assist the investigation.
"They are involved in al-Qaeda business or al-Qaeda issues and are
flying our flag - what if they are used in terrorist activities?"
said Daboh. "We will be blamed and then blacklisted."
McKay paid 5,000 dollars (4,100 euros) for each of the airline
registration certificates, telling civil aviation officials he was
keen to start flights between Freetown and other destinations, the
African Sunday Times reported.
"They posed as genuine business people when they came to Sierra Leone
to register their airlines and were issued with certificates," said
John Bongor, the acting director of civil aviation, who with four of
his colleagues has been detained as part of the investigation since
the weekend.
"But they never once flew in or out of Sierra Leone," said Daboh.
None of the airlines have offices or staff in Freetown, and the
contact addresses given by McKay were fake, said Daboh.
Police have thus far been unsuccessful in tracking McKay down,
although an agent working in Freetown on his behalf has co-operated
with the investigation.
British Transport Minister Tony McNulty in January had banned Star
Air and Air Universal from flying in or out of Britain, but gave no
reason for including the companies on an international blacklist.
"Up to July this year they did not show up so I then issued a notice
to them, suspending their licenses," added Bongor. "I have now
cancelled their operation certificates but in spite of this, I have
information that they are still flying."
A watchdog group known as the Association for a Clean Ostend, which
monitors the use of the Netherlands' Ostend Airport for arms and
drugs smuggling, has reported that Air Leone was once known as Ibis
Air transport, an airline operated by Executive Outcomes and its
sister company Sandline International.
Mercenaries from the South Africa-based Executive Outcomes, who
fought on the side of the beleaguered national army, were considered
crucial to ending Sierra Leone's civil war.
The airlines are not the only potential link between Sierra Leone and
the terror network of Osama bin Laden.
According to a recently leaked document from the UN-backed war crimes
court in the west African state, known high-level al-Qaeda operatives
dealt in Sierra Leonean diamonds, using next door Liberia as a
conduit.
The evidence provided by the court, however, was reviewed and
rejected by the US commission investigating the September 11 attacks
on the United States as not "substantiated".
(Source: www.sundaytimes.co.za)
