Скачать или смотреть PAPUA NEW GUINEA: CHARGES AGAINST BOSS OF MERCENARY FIRM DROPPED

(8 Apr 1997) English/Nat

Officials abruptly dropped charges Tuesday against the leader of a London-based mercenary firm that was at the centre of a mutiny last month by Papua New Guinea's military.

The chief police inspector said charges were dropped due to legal problems with the way retired Lt. Col. Tim Spicer's apartment was searched and his pistol seized.

Spicer, chief executive of Sandline International, had commanded about 70 mercenaries hired to train Papua New Guinea soldiers and lead an offensive against separatist rebels on a north-eastern island.

But Papua New Guinea's underpaid soldiers protested the government's $36 million deal with Sandline and mutinied, refusing to work with the mercenaries.

Spicer had been scheduled to stand trial on charges of illegal possession of a pistol and ammunition.

The chief police inspector said charges were dropped due to legal problems with the way his apartment was searched and his Makarov 9mm pistol seized.

Officials returned his British passport and said he was free to leave Papua New Guinea. His lawyer was clearly pleased a the result.

SOUNDBITE:
Well I imagine he's going home - he's free to go home. He's a married man with four kids.
SUPER CAPTION: John Reeve, Spicer's Lawyer

Spicer has testified before the panel, denying any wrongdoing.

Observers believed the firearms charges were lodged to keep him in the country to testify.

SOUNDBITE:
Now as we understand it, the passport is not in the custody of the clerk of the court and as we understood it yesterday - and I don't know the position today - was not in the custody of the police. But the police seemed to be of the view that they would have no difficulty obtaining it.
SUPER CAPTION: John Reeve, Spicer's Lawyer

Anger over the contract forced Prime Minister Julius Chan, along with his finance and defence ministers, to step down pending an independent judicial investigation into the legality of the contract.

The army deported the other mercenaries, who were mostly South Africans.

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