Current:Home > BackAustrian court acquits Blackwater founder and 4 others over export of modified crop-spraying planes-InfoLens
Austrian court acquits Blackwater founder and 4 others over export of modified crop-spraying planes
View Date:2024-12-23 14:12:12
BERLIN (AP) — An Austrian court on Thursday acquitted five people, including the founder of the Blackwater security firm, who were accused of exporting two crop-spraying aircraft that were allegedly refitted for military purposes without the necessary permits.
The state court in Wiener Neustadt found that the modified aircraft were not “war material,” the Austria Press Agency reported. It also found that the defendants had acted “very prudently” and sought advice on export permits.
The trial stemmed from an investigation into a local company, Airborne Technologies GmbH, which fits out aircraft with sensors and other equipment.
Prosecutors said that two Ayres Thrush agricultural aircraft were equipped with armor, extra tanks and a special camera that could be used for marking and illuminating targets. They said one was sent to Malta in 2014, with Kenya as its declared destination, and landed in troubled South Sudan, while the other was sent to Bulgaria in 2015.
The defendants were accused of violating Austria’s law on war material by exporting such equipment without permission. One of the defendants, an Australian pilot, was accused of flying the two planes across Austria’s borders, while the four other defendants allegedly participated in the deal. They were Blackwater founder Erik Prince, two managers at Airborne Technologies and a trained pilot who allegedly was an adviser.
All pleaded not guilty when the trial opened last month, and a defense lawyer said that the modifications to the aircraft were innocuous. He said the first plane was always destined for Kenya but made a landing in South Sudan due to technical problems.
veryGood! (567)
Related
- Republican Dan Newhouse wins reelection to US House in Washington
- In Arizona’s Senate Race, Both Candidates Have Plans to Address Drought. But Only One Acknowledges Climate Change’s Role
- Police in Michigan say 4 killed, 17 injured after semitruck crashes into vehicles stuck in traffic
- When is the NASCAR Championship Race? What to know about the 2024 Cup Series finale
- Mason Bates’ Met-bound opera ‘Kavalier & Clay’ based on Michael Chabon novel premieres in Indiana
- Pete Davidson Shows Off Tattoo Removal Transformation During Saturday Night Live Appearance
- 9 Years After the Paris Agreement, the UN Confronts the World’s Failure to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- In Arizona’s Senate Race, Both Candidates Have Plans to Address Drought. But Only One Acknowledges Climate Change’s Role
- Kevin Costner says he hasn't watched John Dutton's fate on 'Yellowstone': 'Swear to God'
- Adding up the Public Health Costs of Using Coal to Make Steel
Ranking
- Monument erected in Tulsa for victims of 1921 Race Massacre
- In the heights: Generations of steeplejacks keep vanishing trade alive
- Getting Out the Native Vote Counters a Long History of Keeping Tribal Members from the Ballot Box
- Mountain Dew VooDew 2024: Halloween mystery flavor unveiled and it's not Twizzlers
- Solawave Black Friday Sale: Don't Miss Buy 1, Get 1 Free on Age-Defying Red Light Devices
- New Reports Ahead of COP29 Show The World Is Spinning Its Wheels on Climate Action
- Man who fled prison after being charged with 4 murders pleads guilty to slayings, other crimes
- Millions may lose health insurance if expanded premium tax credit expires next year
Recommendation
-
Watch: Military dad's emotional return after a year away
-
Pacific and Caribbean Island Nations Call for the First Universal Carbon Levy on International Shipping Emissions
-
Europe’s human rights watchdog urges Cyprus to let migrants stuck in UN buffer zone seek asylum
-
Louisiana’s new law on abortion drugs establishes risky treatment delays, lawsuit claims
-
Judith Jamison, acclaimed Alvin Ailey American dancer and director, dead at 81
-
Jill Duggar Details Complicated Relationship With Parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar
-
In dash across Michigan, Harris contrasts optimism with Trump’s rhetoric without uttering his name
-
Harris, Obamas and voting rights leaders work to turn out Black voters in run-up to Election Day