Zimbabwe 'seizes US cargo plane'
?
I wonder what the mandatory aircraft documents state about the ownership? Surely these documents must be up to date before the aircraft was allowed to get airborne, especially if it is to fly for in foreign territory. Also, if the aircraft departed South Africa, what did the gen dec state and howcome the aircraft didn't have it's documents confirmed by SA authorities. It sounds like a bit of a mess to be polite
help me to understand this better. Whats the big deal about the registration number on the aircraft?
Isn't the issue who was flying it and who was aboard?
Like if it was leased for a month could it still have a US registration number and yet be operated by mercanaries in South Africa?
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Top of Descent,
No this is not the missing 727 from Angola.
You guys seem to be forgetting that anybody can paint any registration number on the side of an aircraft they want. Drug runners do it all the time. If I was going to do that I would want the impression that my aircraft was American registered and flying under the protection of the American flag. Especially in an area like this.
No this is not the missing 727 from Angola.
You guys seem to be forgetting that anybody can paint any registration number on the side of an aircraft they want. Drug runners do it all the time. If I was going to do that I would want the impression that my aircraft was American registered and flying under the protection of the American flag. Especially in an area like this.
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Iomapaseo,
Nobody seems to know whom the owner is at this time, which would definitely help in knowing what was going on. This would be on its document under certificate of registration/owner. Dodson claim they sold it and no one can find Logo Ltd.
Everyone at this stage knows who was on board, but one does expect authorities to follow up on foreign aircraft in its territory. The Zimbo's did, why didn't the SA Police/Customs/ATC etc... Over flight clearance into and out of SA, airway fees-how do you get airborne from Wonderboom on an international flight plan to Harare if the minister says it is not an international airport. So many questions...
So I would think it would start with, who are the owners and who does the aircraft belong to and what were these guys doing.
It took the Zimbabwean authorities to catch this. Its amazing it got this far. How many other times did people get away with this from SA?
Nobody seems to know whom the owner is at this time, which would definitely help in knowing what was going on. This would be on its document under certificate of registration/owner. Dodson claim they sold it and no one can find Logo Ltd.
Everyone at this stage knows who was on board, but one does expect authorities to follow up on foreign aircraft in its territory. The Zimbo's did, why didn't the SA Police/Customs/ATC etc... Over flight clearance into and out of SA, airway fees-how do you get airborne from Wonderboom on an international flight plan to Harare if the minister says it is not an international airport. So many questions...
So I would think it would start with, who are the owners and who does the aircraft belong to and what were these guys doing.
It took the Zimbabwean authorities to catch this. Its amazing it got this far. How many other times did people get away with this from SA?
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Seized plane on civil mission, says operator
March 09 2004 at 04:33PM
Reuters
Johannesburg - A plane seized in Zimbabwe carrying 64 people the Harare government said were "suspected mercenaries" was bound for the Democratic Republic of Congo for mine security work, its operator said on Tuesday.
"They were going to the eastern DRC. They stopped in Zimbabwe to pick up mining equipment, Zimbabwe being a vastly cheaper place for such," said Charles Burrow, a senior executive of Logo Logistics Ltd which chartered the plane.
He told reporters by telephone from London that most of the people on board had military experience.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click...9B251&set_id=1
March 09 2004 at 04:33PM
Reuters
Johannesburg - A plane seized in Zimbabwe carrying 64 people the Harare government said were "suspected mercenaries" was bound for the Democratic Republic of Congo for mine security work, its operator said on Tuesday.
"They were going to the eastern DRC. They stopped in Zimbabwe to pick up mining equipment, Zimbabwe being a vastly cheaper place for such," said Charles Burrow, a senior executive of Logo Logistics Ltd which chartered the plane.
He told reporters by telephone from London that most of the people on board had military experience.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click...9B251&set_id=1
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Wonder if the Simon Mann mentioned below is the same Eton graduate who was involved with "Executive Outcomes", a quasi legitimate succesor to an old special forces cover company?
Executive Outcomes is (are) defunct but they were known to operate C-47's and 727's in African "security" operations. Maybe just a coincidence...
Simon Mann has a film credit in 'Bloody Sunday' (2002): http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1115931/
_______________________________________________
Seized Plane: Probe Continues
The Herald (Harare)
March 10, 2004
Posted to the web March 9, 2004
Harare
GOVERNMENT yesterday revealed the nationalities of the 64 suspected mercenaries who were detained at the Harare International Airport on Sunday night after the owners of their plane had made false declaration of the cargo and crew.
They are 20 South Africans, 18 Namibians, 23 Angolans, two Congolese (DRC) and one Zimbabwean with a South African passport.
The Minister of Home Affairs Cde Kembo Mohadi said Zimbabwean security authorities became suspicious after the pilot had only kept the cockpit lights on with the rest of the plane in darkness.
"This was deliberate and it was clearly intended to hide the presence of the additional 64 passengers. On the discovery of the undeclared passengers, the plane was immediately grounded and the crew and passengers arrested," he said.
Cde Mohadi said the captain of the plane had advised the Harare tower that the plane was empty except for the crew of three and four loaders.
An advance team met the plane at the Harare International Airport and it consisted of one Simon Mann and two other men who had entered the country on March 5 this year.
The minister said initial investigations revealed that the plane was a former US Airforce aircraft which was sold to Dodson Aviation of the United States, a company he said had links to the US government.
"The plane recently flew to South Africa with an American crew which then swapped with a South African crew in Pretoria. It was at Wonderboom Airport that the mercenaries embarked and loaded their cargo," he said.
The plane is believed to have stopped at Petersburg airport before proceeding to Harare.
Cde Mohadi said Mann had initially visited the country in February this year together with one Nicholas du Toit.
The two referred to themselves as international technical consultants based in the British Virgin Islands.
"Simon Mann claimed to run a company called Logo Logistics while du Toit ran a company called Military Technical Services Incorporated. Both operated from the same address," he said.
The two made inquiries about the purchase of arms and ammunition and indicated they worked with a country in the Great Lakes to train Katangese rebels.
They later changed their story and claimed that they wanted weapons to protect a mining property in the DRC.
"Questions were raised as to why the two South Africans would want to buy weapons from Zimbabwe if the end use was legal. South Africa is a much bigger arms manufacturer," he said.
Cde Mohadi said a sinister motive was suspected and measures to monitor their plans until the arrest were instituted.
He said only the white component of the group seemed knowledgeable of the final destination and the purpose of the expedition.
It is believed a briefing on the mission was to be given to the rest of the members once the plane was airborne.
Cde Mohadi said investigations had also revealed that Mann was a former member of the British Special Airforce Service (SAS).
He said when the other members were arrested, du Toit was not there and had started arranging for the legal representation of the accused.
He said a Simon Witherspoon, a known South African mercenary who has operated in various countries in Africa, including Cote d*Ivoire, appeared to be the spokesman of the group.
He left the South African Defence Forces in 1989 to join the mercenary company, Executive Outcomes.
The minister said preliminary investigations indicated that Harare was not the final destination of the group as Bujumbura in Burundi and Mbuji Mayi in the DRC had been mentioned as the other destinations.
"Further investigations are underway and more information will be released to the public as it becomes available," Cde Mohadi said.
Government was working closely with other Sadc members on the issue.
Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe chief executive officer Mr Karikoga Kaseke said the flight plan of the impounded plane had a lot of inconsistencies and was very misleading and at times conflicting.
He said the owners of the plane said the plane had only three crew members and four loaders and carried cargo.
"This is the reason why we parked it in the cargo section. They did not tell us they had people inside," he said.
Mr Kaseke said the crew asked for a technical stopover for refuelling but it later emerged they had other plans.
He said the crew indicated they were flying to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Checks with flying records had also shown that the plane was flying very low which is a security risk, Mr Kaseke said.
South African Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Aziz Pahad said in a statement his ministry would remain in close contact with its ambassador in Zimbabwe Mr Jeremiah Ndou to seek clarity on the circumstances surrounding the incident.
"Should the allegations that those South Africans on board are involved in mercenary activities prove true, this would amount to a serious breach of the Foreign Military Assistance Act which expressly prohibits the involvement of South Africans in military Conventional Arms Control Committee," he said.
Zimbabwe security authorities detained the United States-registered plane on Sunday night after its owners had made false declaration of its cargo and crew.
The capture of 64 suspected mercenaries in Harare on Sunday took a new dimension yesterday in South Africa, the United States, Britain, Democratic Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea.
This comes amid contradictory reports over the suspects* mission with Reuters news agency reporting that Equatorial Guinea had arrested a 15-strong "advance party" from the same group while the South African Press Association claimed that the suspected mercenaries were mining contractors travelling to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
SAPA news agency reported that a British company, Logo Logistics Ltd, was operating the impounded plane.
The South African news agency said the company sent it a statement in which it said: "We can make it clear that we have no current or intended business in Zimbabwe and certainly no illegal intentions against its government and people."
Logo told SAPA that what Zimbabwean authorities described as "military" items on board was in fact working equipment such as boots, pipe-bending and wire-cutting tools.
Logo said the aircraft, seized at Harare International Airport on Sunday, was recently purchased and still registered in the United States.
"There is no other link with the US," the company said.
However, authorities in Equatorial Guinea, a country in West Africa, said they had arrested a 15-strong "advance party" from the same group.
"Some 15 mercenaries have been arrested here in Equatorial Guinea and it was connected with that plane in Zimbabwe. They were the advance party of that group," Equatorial Guinea Information Minister Agustin Nse Nfumu told Reuters.
According to Reuters, the arrests come amid speculation among exiled opposition politicians in Equatorial Guinea that a coup was in the offing.
Charles Burrows, a senior executive of Logo Logistics, said most of the people on board were South African and had military experience, but were on contract to four mining companies in Congo.
"They were going to eastern DRC. They stopped in Zimbabwe to pick up mining equipment, Zimbabwe being a vastly cheaper place for such," he said.
Burrows, whose company is registered in Britain*s Channel Islands, denied any connection between the group detained in Harare and those arrested in Equatorial Guinea.
"I haven*t the foggiest idea of what they*re talking about," he said by telephone from London.
South African air traffic control said the plane had left Johannesburg on Sunday and made a stop at Wonderboom airport near Pretoria. From there it flew to the northern South African town of Polokwane, where it took on some 63 passengers and completed departure formalities.
Craig Partridge, a spokesman for South Africa*s Air Traffic and Navigation Services, said the plane had filed full flight plans showing it would travel to Harare and from there to Bujumbura in Burundi on Congo*s eastern border.
In Washington, the State Department said it had no indication that the plane was connected to the US government.
US Federal Aviation Administration records show the plane registered to Dodson Aviation Inc. based in Ottawa, Kansas. Dodson said it had sold the plane about a week ago to an African firm called Logo Ltd.
The white plane with a blue stripe across its body contained an assortment of military hardware that included a rubber boat (dingy), sleeping bags, loud hailers, hammers, sophisticated radio communication equipment, water proof boots and bolt cutters.
According to media reports from South Africa the plane was sold to a South African firm last week.
Jim Pippin the acting general manager for Dodson International, a subsidiary of Dodson Aviation Inc, which is headquartered in Ottawa, Kansas, said the Boeing 727-100 was sold to Logo Logistics.
"The plane was sold by Dodson out of the United States. The company took delivery of the plane over the weekend after it most likely flew out from Florida," Pippin told AFP from Wonderboom airport, just north of Pretoria.
Asked why an internet search showed the plane was still with a US registration in the name of Dodson, Pippin said: "They have not yet had time to do a re-registration."
AFP reports said the owner of a flying school at Wonderboom airport, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Boeing 727-100 landed there about 8.00am on Sunday.
"They asked me to move some of my aircraft because the jetstream from such a large aircraft could have damaged them," he said.
Peet van Rensburg, a spokesman for Wonderboom airport, confirmed that the plane was at the airport on Sunday, but also said he believed it proceeded to Polokwane.
Moses Seate spokesman for the South African Civil Aviation Authorities said the organisation would release a statement as soon as investigations are complete.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200403090928.html
Executive Outcomes is (are) defunct but they were known to operate C-47's and 727's in African "security" operations. Maybe just a coincidence...
Simon Mann has a film credit in 'Bloody Sunday' (2002): http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1115931/
_______________________________________________
Seized Plane: Probe Continues
The Herald (Harare)
March 10, 2004
Posted to the web March 9, 2004
Harare
GOVERNMENT yesterday revealed the nationalities of the 64 suspected mercenaries who were detained at the Harare International Airport on Sunday night after the owners of their plane had made false declaration of the cargo and crew.
They are 20 South Africans, 18 Namibians, 23 Angolans, two Congolese (DRC) and one Zimbabwean with a South African passport.
The Minister of Home Affairs Cde Kembo Mohadi said Zimbabwean security authorities became suspicious after the pilot had only kept the cockpit lights on with the rest of the plane in darkness.
"This was deliberate and it was clearly intended to hide the presence of the additional 64 passengers. On the discovery of the undeclared passengers, the plane was immediately grounded and the crew and passengers arrested," he said.
Cde Mohadi said the captain of the plane had advised the Harare tower that the plane was empty except for the crew of three and four loaders.
An advance team met the plane at the Harare International Airport and it consisted of one Simon Mann and two other men who had entered the country on March 5 this year.
The minister said initial investigations revealed that the plane was a former US Airforce aircraft which was sold to Dodson Aviation of the United States, a company he said had links to the US government.
"The plane recently flew to South Africa with an American crew which then swapped with a South African crew in Pretoria. It was at Wonderboom Airport that the mercenaries embarked and loaded their cargo," he said.
The plane is believed to have stopped at Petersburg airport before proceeding to Harare.
Cde Mohadi said Mann had initially visited the country in February this year together with one Nicholas du Toit.
The two referred to themselves as international technical consultants based in the British Virgin Islands.
"Simon Mann claimed to run a company called Logo Logistics while du Toit ran a company called Military Technical Services Incorporated. Both operated from the same address," he said.
The two made inquiries about the purchase of arms and ammunition and indicated they worked with a country in the Great Lakes to train Katangese rebels.
They later changed their story and claimed that they wanted weapons to protect a mining property in the DRC.
"Questions were raised as to why the two South Africans would want to buy weapons from Zimbabwe if the end use was legal. South Africa is a much bigger arms manufacturer," he said.
Cde Mohadi said a sinister motive was suspected and measures to monitor their plans until the arrest were instituted.
He said only the white component of the group seemed knowledgeable of the final destination and the purpose of the expedition.
It is believed a briefing on the mission was to be given to the rest of the members once the plane was airborne.
Cde Mohadi said investigations had also revealed that Mann was a former member of the British Special Airforce Service (SAS).
He said when the other members were arrested, du Toit was not there and had started arranging for the legal representation of the accused.
He said a Simon Witherspoon, a known South African mercenary who has operated in various countries in Africa, including Cote d*Ivoire, appeared to be the spokesman of the group.
He left the South African Defence Forces in 1989 to join the mercenary company, Executive Outcomes.
The minister said preliminary investigations indicated that Harare was not the final destination of the group as Bujumbura in Burundi and Mbuji Mayi in the DRC had been mentioned as the other destinations.
"Further investigations are underway and more information will be released to the public as it becomes available," Cde Mohadi said.
Government was working closely with other Sadc members on the issue.
Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe chief executive officer Mr Karikoga Kaseke said the flight plan of the impounded plane had a lot of inconsistencies and was very misleading and at times conflicting.
He said the owners of the plane said the plane had only three crew members and four loaders and carried cargo.
"This is the reason why we parked it in the cargo section. They did not tell us they had people inside," he said.
Mr Kaseke said the crew asked for a technical stopover for refuelling but it later emerged they had other plans.
He said the crew indicated they were flying to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Checks with flying records had also shown that the plane was flying very low which is a security risk, Mr Kaseke said.
South African Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Aziz Pahad said in a statement his ministry would remain in close contact with its ambassador in Zimbabwe Mr Jeremiah Ndou to seek clarity on the circumstances surrounding the incident.
"Should the allegations that those South Africans on board are involved in mercenary activities prove true, this would amount to a serious breach of the Foreign Military Assistance Act which expressly prohibits the involvement of South Africans in military Conventional Arms Control Committee," he said.
Zimbabwe security authorities detained the United States-registered plane on Sunday night after its owners had made false declaration of its cargo and crew.
The capture of 64 suspected mercenaries in Harare on Sunday took a new dimension yesterday in South Africa, the United States, Britain, Democratic Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea.
This comes amid contradictory reports over the suspects* mission with Reuters news agency reporting that Equatorial Guinea had arrested a 15-strong "advance party" from the same group while the South African Press Association claimed that the suspected mercenaries were mining contractors travelling to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
SAPA news agency reported that a British company, Logo Logistics Ltd, was operating the impounded plane.
The South African news agency said the company sent it a statement in which it said: "We can make it clear that we have no current or intended business in Zimbabwe and certainly no illegal intentions against its government and people."
Logo told SAPA that what Zimbabwean authorities described as "military" items on board was in fact working equipment such as boots, pipe-bending and wire-cutting tools.
Logo said the aircraft, seized at Harare International Airport on Sunday, was recently purchased and still registered in the United States.
"There is no other link with the US," the company said.
However, authorities in Equatorial Guinea, a country in West Africa, said they had arrested a 15-strong "advance party" from the same group.
"Some 15 mercenaries have been arrested here in Equatorial Guinea and it was connected with that plane in Zimbabwe. They were the advance party of that group," Equatorial Guinea Information Minister Agustin Nse Nfumu told Reuters.
According to Reuters, the arrests come amid speculation among exiled opposition politicians in Equatorial Guinea that a coup was in the offing.
Charles Burrows, a senior executive of Logo Logistics, said most of the people on board were South African and had military experience, but were on contract to four mining companies in Congo.
"They were going to eastern DRC. They stopped in Zimbabwe to pick up mining equipment, Zimbabwe being a vastly cheaper place for such," he said.
Burrows, whose company is registered in Britain*s Channel Islands, denied any connection between the group detained in Harare and those arrested in Equatorial Guinea.
"I haven*t the foggiest idea of what they*re talking about," he said by telephone from London.
South African air traffic control said the plane had left Johannesburg on Sunday and made a stop at Wonderboom airport near Pretoria. From there it flew to the northern South African town of Polokwane, where it took on some 63 passengers and completed departure formalities.
Craig Partridge, a spokesman for South Africa*s Air Traffic and Navigation Services, said the plane had filed full flight plans showing it would travel to Harare and from there to Bujumbura in Burundi on Congo*s eastern border.
In Washington, the State Department said it had no indication that the plane was connected to the US government.
US Federal Aviation Administration records show the plane registered to Dodson Aviation Inc. based in Ottawa, Kansas. Dodson said it had sold the plane about a week ago to an African firm called Logo Ltd.
The white plane with a blue stripe across its body contained an assortment of military hardware that included a rubber boat (dingy), sleeping bags, loud hailers, hammers, sophisticated radio communication equipment, water proof boots and bolt cutters.
According to media reports from South Africa the plane was sold to a South African firm last week.
Jim Pippin the acting general manager for Dodson International, a subsidiary of Dodson Aviation Inc, which is headquartered in Ottawa, Kansas, said the Boeing 727-100 was sold to Logo Logistics.
"The plane was sold by Dodson out of the United States. The company took delivery of the plane over the weekend after it most likely flew out from Florida," Pippin told AFP from Wonderboom airport, just north of Pretoria.
Asked why an internet search showed the plane was still with a US registration in the name of Dodson, Pippin said: "They have not yet had time to do a re-registration."
AFP reports said the owner of a flying school at Wonderboom airport, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Boeing 727-100 landed there about 8.00am on Sunday.
"They asked me to move some of my aircraft because the jetstream from such a large aircraft could have damaged them," he said.
Peet van Rensburg, a spokesman for Wonderboom airport, confirmed that the plane was at the airport on Sunday, but also said he believed it proceeded to Polokwane.
Moses Seate spokesman for the South African Civil Aviation Authorities said the organisation would release a statement as soon as investigations are complete.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200403090928.html
Last edited by Airbubba; 10th Mar 2004 at 10:51.
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Zimbabwe: Seized Plane Adds to Coup Jitters
New York Times 03/10/04
author: Sharon LaFraniere
c. 2004 New York Times Company
Amid conflicting accounts of the mission and destination of an aging plane seized in Zimbabwe on Sunday, at least three governments have begun investigations: Zimbabwe, which impounded the plane on suspicion that it carried mercenaries; Equatorial Guinea, where coup rumors have the government on edge; and South Africa, where the flight apparently originated. Officials from the United States, where the plane was registered, said they were also following the saga closely. The authorities in Equatorial Guinea claimed that the plane was part of coup attempt it has now thwarted by arresting 15 people they said were linked to a group of 64 detained in Zimbabwe. "They were the advance party of that group," the information minister told Reuters. But the operator of the Boeing 727, Logo Logistics Ltd., said it was on an innocent mission to deliver security workers to mining companies in Congo and had stopped in Zimbabwe only to buy mining equipment. Charles Burrows, a senior executive, denied there was any connection to a coup. "I haven't the foggiest idea of what they're talking about," he said.
New York Times 03/10/04
author: Sharon LaFraniere
c. 2004 New York Times Company
Amid conflicting accounts of the mission and destination of an aging plane seized in Zimbabwe on Sunday, at least three governments have begun investigations: Zimbabwe, which impounded the plane on suspicion that it carried mercenaries; Equatorial Guinea, where coup rumors have the government on edge; and South Africa, where the flight apparently originated. Officials from the United States, where the plane was registered, said they were also following the saga closely. The authorities in Equatorial Guinea claimed that the plane was part of coup attempt it has now thwarted by arresting 15 people they said were linked to a group of 64 detained in Zimbabwe. "They were the advance party of that group," the information minister told Reuters. But the operator of the Boeing 727, Logo Logistics Ltd., said it was on an innocent mission to deliver security workers to mining companies in Congo and had stopped in Zimbabwe only to buy mining equipment. Charles Burrows, a senior executive, denied there was any connection to a coup. "I haven't the foggiest idea of what they're talking about," he said.
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Zimbabwe: Mercenaries Could Face Death
Associated Press Newswires 03/10/04
author: Angus Shaw
Copyright 2004. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
HARARE, Zimbabwe - The 64 suspected mercenaries who were aboard a cargo jet seized at the country's main airport could face the death penalty, Zimbabwe's foreign minister said Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge did not say what charges would be brought against them or when they might appear in court.
"They are going to face the severest punishment on our statutes, including capital punishment," Mudenge said after a routine briefing for diplomats in the capital, Harare.
The crew of the aging Boeing 727, which was impounded late Sunday at Harare's international airport, claimed the plane was headed for the central African nations of the Congo and Burundi and was carrying mineral mining personnel.
Zimbabwe authorities alleged the 64 were hired by a South African mercenary organization and British special forces, state television reported.
The television said Tuesday that investigations in Zimbabwe found the plane was linked to a South African firm known as "Executive Outcomes" that in the past hired mostly former apartheid-era South African soldiers for mercenary and security work across Africa.
The television quoted Zimbabwe Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi as saying British SAS, or Special Air Service, forces were believed also to have been involved. He did not elaborate.
Britain's Foreign Office said it was aware of the allegation.
"The British government in Harare is following the developments closely. They attended a briefing by the Zimbabwean foreign minister this morning," said a spokeswoman, speaking on condition of anonymity.
When asked specifically about the SAS claim, she said she had no further details.
State TV said the plane was carrying 20 South African nationals and groups of Angolans, Congolese, Namibians and one Zimbabwean with a South African passport.
Earlier, South Africa's ambassador to Zimbabwe, Jerry Ndou, was trying to verify the status of those on board the plane, the South African Foreign Affairs Ministry said.
"Should the allegations that those South Africans on board are involved in mercenary activities prove true, this would amount to a serious breach of the Foreign Military Assistance Act, which expressly prohibits the involvement of South Africans in military activities outside South Africa without the due authorization of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee," Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said in a statement released late Monday.
The small west African state of Equatorial Guinea, where rich oil deposits were recently discovered, has said it is investigating reports foreign mercenaries were being recruited earlier this year to overthrow the government.
Zimbabwe state television on Monday broadcast footage of a white plane with a blue stripe containing satellite telephones, radios, backpacks, sleeping bags, hiking boots, an inflatable raft, bolt cutters and what appeared to be a can of Mace. No weapons were shown.
The plane and its passengers were taken to a nearby military airfield, the station said.
The plane's registration number, N4610, is assigned to Dodson Aviation Inc. of Ottawa, Kan. However, company director Robert Dodson said it had sold the aircraft about a week ago.
Associated Press Newswires 03/10/04
author: Angus Shaw
Copyright 2004. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
HARARE, Zimbabwe - The 64 suspected mercenaries who were aboard a cargo jet seized at the country's main airport could face the death penalty, Zimbabwe's foreign minister said Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge did not say what charges would be brought against them or when they might appear in court.
"They are going to face the severest punishment on our statutes, including capital punishment," Mudenge said after a routine briefing for diplomats in the capital, Harare.
The crew of the aging Boeing 727, which was impounded late Sunday at Harare's international airport, claimed the plane was headed for the central African nations of the Congo and Burundi and was carrying mineral mining personnel.
Zimbabwe authorities alleged the 64 were hired by a South African mercenary organization and British special forces, state television reported.
The television said Tuesday that investigations in Zimbabwe found the plane was linked to a South African firm known as "Executive Outcomes" that in the past hired mostly former apartheid-era South African soldiers for mercenary and security work across Africa.
The television quoted Zimbabwe Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi as saying British SAS, or Special Air Service, forces were believed also to have been involved. He did not elaborate.
Britain's Foreign Office said it was aware of the allegation.
"The British government in Harare is following the developments closely. They attended a briefing by the Zimbabwean foreign minister this morning," said a spokeswoman, speaking on condition of anonymity.
When asked specifically about the SAS claim, she said she had no further details.
State TV said the plane was carrying 20 South African nationals and groups of Angolans, Congolese, Namibians and one Zimbabwean with a South African passport.
Earlier, South Africa's ambassador to Zimbabwe, Jerry Ndou, was trying to verify the status of those on board the plane, the South African Foreign Affairs Ministry said.
"Should the allegations that those South Africans on board are involved in mercenary activities prove true, this would amount to a serious breach of the Foreign Military Assistance Act, which expressly prohibits the involvement of South Africans in military activities outside South Africa without the due authorization of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee," Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said in a statement released late Monday.
The small west African state of Equatorial Guinea, where rich oil deposits were recently discovered, has said it is investigating reports foreign mercenaries were being recruited earlier this year to overthrow the government.
Zimbabwe state television on Monday broadcast footage of a white plane with a blue stripe containing satellite telephones, radios, backpacks, sleeping bags, hiking boots, an inflatable raft, bolt cutters and what appeared to be a can of Mace. No weapons were shown.
The plane and its passengers were taken to a nearby military airfield, the station said.
The plane's registration number, N4610, is assigned to Dodson Aviation Inc. of Ottawa, Kan. However, company director Robert Dodson said it had sold the aircraft about a week ago.
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British SAS 'hired' Zim Boeing
10/03/2004 09:12 - (SA)
Harare, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwean authorities alleged on Tuesday that a cargo plane impounded in Harare on suspicion of carrying 64 mercenaries was hired by a South African mercenary organisation and British special forces, state television reported.
The television said investigations in Zimbabwe showed the plane, impounded late on Sunday at the main Harare international airport, was linked to a South African firm known as "Executive Outcomes" that in the past hired mostly former apartheid era South African soldiers for mercenary and security work across Africa.
The television quoted Zimbabwe Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi saying British SAS, or Special Air Service, forces were believed also to have been involved.
No comment was immediately available from Britain or South Africa on those charges.
State television said the plane was carrying 20 South African nationals and groups of Angolans, Congolese, Namibians and one Zimbabwean carrying a South African passport.
Mineral mining/B>
The crew of the ageing Boeing 727 claimed the plane was headed for the central African nations of the Congo and Burundi and was carrying mineral mining personnel.
Earlier, South Africa's ambassador to Zimbabwe, Jerry Ndou, was attempting to verify the status of those on board the plane, the South African Foreign Affairs Ministry said.
"Should the allegations that those South Africans on board are involved in mercenary activities prove true, this would amount to a serious breach of the Foreign Military Assistance Act, which expressly prohibits the involvement of South Africans in military activities outside South Africa without the due authorisation of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee," Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said in a statement released late on Monday.
Oil discovered
The small west African state of Equatorial Guinea, where rich oil deposits were recently discovered, has said it is investigating reports foreign mercenaries were being recruited earlier this year to overthrow the government.
Zimbabwe state television on Monday broadcast footage of a white plane with a blue stripe containing satellite telephones, radios, backpacks, sleeping bags, hiking boots, an inflatable raft, bolt cutters and what appeared to be a can of Mace. No weapons were shown.
The plane and its passengers, most of them whites, were taken to a nearby military airfield, the station said.
The plane's registration number, N4610, is assigned to Dodson Aviation Inc of Ottawa, Kansas, in the United States. However, company director Robert Dodson said it had sold the aircraft about a week ago.
Zimbabwe state television reported on Tuesday investigators in Harare said the plane was a former US air force aircraft that had been bought by Dodson, whose company, the television claimed, had close ties with the US government.
link
10/03/2004 09:12 - (SA)
Harare, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwean authorities alleged on Tuesday that a cargo plane impounded in Harare on suspicion of carrying 64 mercenaries was hired by a South African mercenary organisation and British special forces, state television reported.
The television said investigations in Zimbabwe showed the plane, impounded late on Sunday at the main Harare international airport, was linked to a South African firm known as "Executive Outcomes" that in the past hired mostly former apartheid era South African soldiers for mercenary and security work across Africa.
The television quoted Zimbabwe Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi saying British SAS, or Special Air Service, forces were believed also to have been involved.
No comment was immediately available from Britain or South Africa on those charges.
State television said the plane was carrying 20 South African nationals and groups of Angolans, Congolese, Namibians and one Zimbabwean carrying a South African passport.
Mineral mining/B>
The crew of the ageing Boeing 727 claimed the plane was headed for the central African nations of the Congo and Burundi and was carrying mineral mining personnel.
Earlier, South Africa's ambassador to Zimbabwe, Jerry Ndou, was attempting to verify the status of those on board the plane, the South African Foreign Affairs Ministry said.
"Should the allegations that those South Africans on board are involved in mercenary activities prove true, this would amount to a serious breach of the Foreign Military Assistance Act, which expressly prohibits the involvement of South Africans in military activities outside South Africa without the due authorisation of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee," Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said in a statement released late on Monday.
Oil discovered
The small west African state of Equatorial Guinea, where rich oil deposits were recently discovered, has said it is investigating reports foreign mercenaries were being recruited earlier this year to overthrow the government.
Zimbabwe state television on Monday broadcast footage of a white plane with a blue stripe containing satellite telephones, radios, backpacks, sleeping bags, hiking boots, an inflatable raft, bolt cutters and what appeared to be a can of Mace. No weapons were shown.
The plane and its passengers, most of them whites, were taken to a nearby military airfield, the station said.
The plane's registration number, N4610, is assigned to Dodson Aviation Inc of Ottawa, Kansas, in the United States. However, company director Robert Dodson said it had sold the aircraft about a week ago.
Zimbabwe state television reported on Tuesday investigators in Harare said the plane was a former US air force aircraft that had been bought by Dodson, whose company, the television claimed, had close ties with the US government.
link
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Some more names in these reports:
SA pilot on 'mercenary' plane
10/03/2004 11:44 - (SA)
Erika Gibson
Pretoria - Niel Steyl, the pilot of the Boeing 727-100 that was impounded in Zimbabwe, used to be a commercial pilot in Bethlehem, Free State.
Another pilot on board was Hendrik Hamman, a farmer from Namibia.
Both apparently flew similar Boeings for the now-defunct Executive Outcomes company that provided military assistance in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the civil wars in those countries.
Steyl apparently hit the headlines two years ago when he was one of the two captains of a Boeing 727 that took the enigmatic and controversial King Leka I, self-proclaimed ruler of Albania, back to his homeland after years in exile in South Africa.
The crew and the 64 others on board the controversial flight were arrested in Harare on Sunday evening.
Sources indicate that they could be held under Zimbabwe' Public Order and Security Act for at least seven days while the Zimbabwean authorities question them under orders from the South African government.
They might then be extradited to South Africa.
Six people - J L Padilla, W L Stanton, M O Bainton, K D Savage, M P Sistok and a McQuade apparently flew the plane from Sao Tome to Lanseria Airport at the weekend.
A Mr Pienaar paid for fuel by credit card before the plane left for Wonderboom Airport from where it travelled to Harare via Polokwane.
It is unclear where the crew who were arrested in Harare took over the plane.
The 64 others on the plane had stayed in a prominent hotel in Pretoria for the past week or so. They apparently underwent marksmanship training near Johannesburg during this time.
Eighty percent of them are apparently from former specialist forces and some are of Angolan descent...
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_A...495804,00.html
____________________________________________
Mom not worried about pilot son
10/03/2004 22:40 - (SA)
Nols Nieman
Bloemfontein - "My son was only the pilot and not part of the 'plot'," said Rina Steyl from Heliconhoogte in Bloemfontein.
Her son, Niel, is being held in Zimbabwe after the Boeing 727 that he was piloting, was seized in Zimbabwe.
She said she was not worried about him because he "just did an innocent thing".
When asked if he had taken part in the planning, she said she didn't think he knew how to plan. He only flew the plane - and probably because he was such a wellknown and good pilot.
He was in South Africa on holiday when he was approached to fly the aircraft. Steyl did not know by whom he was approached as she had no information on the flight.
"No one wants to tell me, but it's certainly for good money," she said with a laugh.
She did not know he went ahead with the flight because she could not keep up with her sons' movements. Three of her four sons are Boeing pilots. She thinks her husband, Johan, might know more details.
Flies for flamboyant Indian tycoon
Niel and another son once worked as pilots for the infamous Executive Outcomes company, but she didn't think he was flying for them this time. Surely, they no longer exist, she asked.
Niel, whom they call Jaap-Niel, matriculated from Harrismith High School, were his father was principal.
His former wife, Petro, and their two daughters still live in Harrismith.
He is now the captain of the Boeing for flamboyant Indian tycoon Dr Vijay Mallya and is stationed in Bangalore.
Mallya is in San Francisco and expects Niel on Sunday.
Niel was on his way to his parents in Bloemfontein when he was asked to fly the plane. But, he first spent time in his Kosmos house in Gauteng.
The phone in the Steyl's house rings continuously - the calls are from friends from around the country who read about Niel's arrest. Everyone is surprised as they all assumed he was in India.
'No weapons on the plane'
"Aunty, I see Jaap-Niel is in trouble," says the umpteenth concerned former classmate on the phone.
Each time, Steyl explains her son was here on holiday and that they are sure he will be held only for seven days, as the newspapers report. This is because there were no weapons on the plane.
"I am not worried - I know my four sons too well," she says.
But, she is worried about the Zimbabweans. Her husband wonders if President Robert Mugabe isn't using "this thing for political gain" to say it proves America has something against him.
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_A...496360,00.html
SA pilot on 'mercenary' plane
10/03/2004 11:44 - (SA)
Erika Gibson
Pretoria - Niel Steyl, the pilot of the Boeing 727-100 that was impounded in Zimbabwe, used to be a commercial pilot in Bethlehem, Free State.
Another pilot on board was Hendrik Hamman, a farmer from Namibia.
Both apparently flew similar Boeings for the now-defunct Executive Outcomes company that provided military assistance in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the civil wars in those countries.
Steyl apparently hit the headlines two years ago when he was one of the two captains of a Boeing 727 that took the enigmatic and controversial King Leka I, self-proclaimed ruler of Albania, back to his homeland after years in exile in South Africa.
The crew and the 64 others on board the controversial flight were arrested in Harare on Sunday evening.
Sources indicate that they could be held under Zimbabwe' Public Order and Security Act for at least seven days while the Zimbabwean authorities question them under orders from the South African government.
They might then be extradited to South Africa.
Six people - J L Padilla, W L Stanton, M O Bainton, K D Savage, M P Sistok and a McQuade apparently flew the plane from Sao Tome to Lanseria Airport at the weekend.
A Mr Pienaar paid for fuel by credit card before the plane left for Wonderboom Airport from where it travelled to Harare via Polokwane.
It is unclear where the crew who were arrested in Harare took over the plane.
The 64 others on the plane had stayed in a prominent hotel in Pretoria for the past week or so. They apparently underwent marksmanship training near Johannesburg during this time.
Eighty percent of them are apparently from former specialist forces and some are of Angolan descent...
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_A...495804,00.html
____________________________________________
Mom not worried about pilot son
10/03/2004 22:40 - (SA)
Nols Nieman
Bloemfontein - "My son was only the pilot and not part of the 'plot'," said Rina Steyl from Heliconhoogte in Bloemfontein.
Her son, Niel, is being held in Zimbabwe after the Boeing 727 that he was piloting, was seized in Zimbabwe.
She said she was not worried about him because he "just did an innocent thing".
When asked if he had taken part in the planning, she said she didn't think he knew how to plan. He only flew the plane - and probably because he was such a wellknown and good pilot.
He was in South Africa on holiday when he was approached to fly the aircraft. Steyl did not know by whom he was approached as she had no information on the flight.
"No one wants to tell me, but it's certainly for good money," she said with a laugh.
She did not know he went ahead with the flight because she could not keep up with her sons' movements. Three of her four sons are Boeing pilots. She thinks her husband, Johan, might know more details.
Flies for flamboyant Indian tycoon
Niel and another son once worked as pilots for the infamous Executive Outcomes company, but she didn't think he was flying for them this time. Surely, they no longer exist, she asked.
Niel, whom they call Jaap-Niel, matriculated from Harrismith High School, were his father was principal.
His former wife, Petro, and their two daughters still live in Harrismith.
He is now the captain of the Boeing for flamboyant Indian tycoon Dr Vijay Mallya and is stationed in Bangalore.
Mallya is in San Francisco and expects Niel on Sunday.
Niel was on his way to his parents in Bloemfontein when he was asked to fly the plane. But, he first spent time in his Kosmos house in Gauteng.
The phone in the Steyl's house rings continuously - the calls are from friends from around the country who read about Niel's arrest. Everyone is surprised as they all assumed he was in India.
'No weapons on the plane'
"Aunty, I see Jaap-Niel is in trouble," says the umpteenth concerned former classmate on the phone.
Each time, Steyl explains her son was here on holiday and that they are sure he will be held only for seven days, as the newspapers report. This is because there were no weapons on the plane.
"I am not worried - I know my four sons too well," she says.
But, she is worried about the Zimbabweans. Her husband wonders if President Robert Mugabe isn't using "this thing for political gain" to say it proves America has something against him.
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_A...496360,00.html
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Any one remember the novel "Dogs of War" Pretty good read. The story of this airplane seems to be following a similar line.
I also read in the UK Daily Telegraph that the plan was to overthow the government of this place and so another governing bloke could be installed who is currently in exile in Spain. Apparntly there were some Spanish mercenary type blokes on the ground.
Another question, why did this airplane stop in Harare? it msut have been a quite major problem to force it to land in a hostile country.
Are there any pics of this aircraft or is a media hype by the Mugabe government to make the plot thicker??
Look forward to following this thread...
Hay Ewe
I also read in the UK Daily Telegraph that the plan was to overthow the government of this place and so another governing bloke could be installed who is currently in exile in Spain. Apparntly there were some Spanish mercenary type blokes on the ground.
Another question, why did this airplane stop in Harare? it msut have been a quite major problem to force it to land in a hostile country.
Are there any pics of this aircraft or is a media hype by the Mugabe government to make the plot thicker??
Look forward to following this thread...
Hay Ewe
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Zimbabwe/Contra?
Plane Did Stop At Grantley Adams -
Thursday 11, March-2004
A UNITED STATES registered plane at the centre of controversy after being detained on Monday with 64 suspected mercenaries aboard by the Zimbabwean government did stop at Grantley Adams International Airport last Saturday morning.
Informed sources told the DAILY NATION yesterday that the aircraft, a Boeing 727 (100 series), with registration number N4610, landed in Barbados shortly after midnight for refuelling before leaving around 6:30 a.m.
Sources also indicated that the aircraft, which Zimbabwean officials alleged also carried military equipment, had arrived from the Hope Air Force Base in North Carolina, United States, before its stop-over in Barbados.
Further reports stated that the plane, originally a commercial PanAm Airways aircraft up until a week ago, was being operated by the American Air Force, but international Press reports stated it had been sold to a South African company.
The plane was detained by Zimbabwean security officials after its owners made a false declaration of its cargo and crew at Harare’s main airport.
link
Thursday 11, March-2004
A UNITED STATES registered plane at the centre of controversy after being detained on Monday with 64 suspected mercenaries aboard by the Zimbabwean government did stop at Grantley Adams International Airport last Saturday morning.
Informed sources told the DAILY NATION yesterday that the aircraft, a Boeing 727 (100 series), with registration number N4610, landed in Barbados shortly after midnight for refuelling before leaving around 6:30 a.m.
Sources also indicated that the aircraft, which Zimbabwean officials alleged also carried military equipment, had arrived from the Hope Air Force Base in North Carolina, United States, before its stop-over in Barbados.
Further reports stated that the plane, originally a commercial PanAm Airways aircraft up until a week ago, was being operated by the American Air Force, but international Press reports stated it had been sold to a South African company.
The plane was detained by Zimbabwean security officials after its owners made a false declaration of its cargo and crew at Harare’s main airport.
link
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"Six people - J L Padilla, W L Stanton, M O Bainton, K D Savage, M P Sistok and a McQuade apparently flew the plane from Sao Tome to Lanseria Airport at the weekend. "
Aha. The mysterious Mr Joseph Padilla of stolen 727 from Luanda fame pops up once again..
Aha. The mysterious Mr Joseph Padilla of stolen 727 from Luanda fame pops up once again..
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>>Aha. The mysterious Mr Joseph Padilla of stolen 727 from Luanda fame pops up once again..<<
Maybe, but the initials are wrong and Joe was supposed to be the brother of the missing Ben Charles Padilla, Jr.
Here are two of the "missing brother" e-mails from last year:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~hick0088/cgi-...i?entry_id=464
Joseph B. Padilla is indeed in the Pensacola phone book at the number listed in one of the e-mails.
A picture of Simon Mann in his feature film debut is posted with this review:
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/ci...?oid=oid:46188
The review ends with this gushing praise of the film: "...It's approach to narrative is so unlike most of what you see in the cinema, and its story is so forceful, it almost makes you want to forgive the Irish for Sinead O'Connor. Almost."
Maybe, but the initials are wrong and Joe was supposed to be the brother of the missing Ben Charles Padilla, Jr.
Here are two of the "missing brother" e-mails from last year:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~hick0088/cgi-...i?entry_id=464
Joseph B. Padilla is indeed in the Pensacola phone book at the number listed in one of the e-mails.
A picture of Simon Mann in his feature film debut is posted with this review:
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/ci...?oid=oid:46188
The review ends with this gushing praise of the film: "...It's approach to narrative is so unlike most of what you see in the cinema, and its story is so forceful, it almost makes you want to forgive the Irish for Sinead O'Connor. Almost."
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>>Civilian plane reportedly departs Hope Air Force Base via Barbados for Africa. One in crew is reported to be J Padilla, though I don't know what bearing that might have. As far as I can tell, this isn't a dual use base.<<
Uh, there isn't Hope AFB in North Carolina or anywhere else.
Was it Pope AFB in Fayetteville, NC?
Here's what they do for a DOD media event:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2...1_p272-01.html
Uh, there isn't Hope AFB in North Carolina or anywhere else.
Was it Pope AFB in Fayetteville, NC?
Here's what they do for a DOD media event:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2...1_p272-01.html
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Airbubba,
Try a Google search. It appears that Pope AFB, Fayetteville NC, has become Hope AFB. At least in the mind of some people.
SC
Try a Google search. It appears that Pope AFB, Fayetteville NC, has become Hope AFB. At least in the mind of some people.
SC
Last edited by seacue; 13th Mar 2004 at 21:03.
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Looks like there is no rush to claim any of these guys as British unlike with the Guantanamo "detainees":
_________________________________________________
...Consular staff at the British Embassy said they had yet to make contact with Mr Mann and the Foreign Office said it had no details of any court case or of a UK citizen being detained in Zimbabwe.
The FO would only interfere if Mr Mann, his family or the Zimbabweans declared he was British and in need of assistance.
A spokeswoman said she could not speculate on "what might happen to someone who may or may not be British" but that it was prepared to make representation on the use of the death penalty.
She said: "We have not received confirmation but we have reminded the Zimbabweans of their obligation to inform us of any Britons held."
Mr Mann's nationality remains unclear amid reports he has homes in South Africa and Hampshire, Britain...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3507504.stm
_________________________________________________
...Consular staff at the British Embassy said they had yet to make contact with Mr Mann and the Foreign Office said it had no details of any court case or of a UK citizen being detained in Zimbabwe.
The FO would only interfere if Mr Mann, his family or the Zimbabweans declared he was British and in need of assistance.
A spokeswoman said she could not speculate on "what might happen to someone who may or may not be British" but that it was prepared to make representation on the use of the death penalty.
She said: "We have not received confirmation but we have reminded the Zimbabweans of their obligation to inform us of any Britons held."
Mr Mann's nationality remains unclear amid reports he has homes in South Africa and Hampshire, Britain...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3507504.stm
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I'm a British Citiizen with a Sith Irican wife. Therefore, I hold a Brit passport and have Permanent Residence in SA. For a Brit to live in SA, this is the only way. Technically, it IS possible to take SA Citizenship but only on pain of renouncing British citizenship - and I've never heard of or met anyone who has seriously considered doing that. (In fact, the reason Zimbos are having trouble returning to the UK after years in ZimBobWe is because they were effectively forced to renounce the UK ticket and take up Zim citizenship.) Ergo, SM will be a Brit and entitled to the "help" afforded to him by the Foreign Orifice. Make of this - and the behaviour of Our Man in Cape Town - what you will.
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I agree with B Sousa. Let us stop giving Mugabes evil regime any more ammunition.
Suggest this thread is closed
BFB
Suggest this thread is closed
BFB