Latest news with #ex-SAS
Sydney Morning Herald
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
War crimes investigator launches raids in major escalation
The elite anti-war crimes agency probing the involvement of ex-SAS soldiers in executions in Afghanistan conducted surprise raids in Perth on Wednesday as part of its ongoing investigations. It is the first time the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI) has launched raids on targets and amounts to a major escalation of its almost five-year inquiry into civilian deaths at the hands of Australian soldiers. The raids were confirmed by three official sources not permitted to speak publicly about the agency's work. It is not clear if the raids were connected to the OSI's examination of disgraced former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith, although detectives from the agency have spent months finalising the statements of witnesses who have agreed to testify against the disgraced war hero over his execution of prisoners and civilians. The OSI is examining suspected murders beyond the four cases that were part of the ex-soldier's failed bid to clear his name. Witness statements collected by the OSI also deal with attempts by Roberts-Smith to cover up his war crimes. The raids were welcomed by SAS veterans who served in Afghanistan and who believe Roberts-Smith and the small number of other soldiers who allegedly executed civilians and prisoners brought shame onto the special forces regiment and should be held to account. However, veterans who back the war crimes suspects turned to social media to attack the OSI actions, claiming the raids were unjust. One post claimed the war crimes investigators, who include some of Australia's most experienced homicide detectives, were trying to 'shake the tree' to find evidence. This masthead revealed last week that the OSI, which has been investigating war criminal Roberts-Smith over multiple murders, including cases not canvassed in his marathon defamation trial, has secured the co-operation of new witnesses. Roberts-Smith's comprehensive loss before the full bench of the Federal Court – which affirmed the finding that the Special Air Service Regiment veteran ordered the murder of four Afghans – paved the way for the OSI to prosecute the former corporal.
The Age
29-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
War crimes investigator launches raids in major escalation
The elite anti-war crimes agency probing the involvement of ex-SAS soldiers in executions in Afghanistan conducted surprise raids in Perth on Wednesday as part of its ongoing investigations. It is the first time the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI) has launched raids on targets and amounts to a major escalation of its almost five-year inquiry into civilian deaths at the hands of Australian soldiers. The raids were confirmed by three official sources not permitted to speak publicly about the agency's work. It is not clear if the raids were connected to the OSI's examination of disgraced former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith, although detectives from the agency have spent months finalising the statements of witnesses who have agreed to testify against the disgraced war hero over his execution of prisoners and civilians. The OSI is examining suspected murders beyond the four cases that were part of the ex-soldier's failed bid to clear his name. Witness statements collected by the OSI also deal with attempts by Roberts-Smith to cover up his war crimes. The raids were welcomed by SAS veterans who served in Afghanistan and who believe Roberts-Smith and the small number of other soldiers who allegedly executed civilians and prisoners brought shame onto the special forces regiment and should be held to account. However, veterans who back the war crimes suspects turned to social media to attack the OSI actions, claiming the raids were unjust. One post claimed the war crimes investigators, who include some of Australia's most experienced homicide detectives, were trying to 'shake the tree' to find evidence. This masthead revealed last week that the OSI, which has been investigating war criminal Roberts-Smith over multiple murders, including cases not canvassed in his marathon defamation trial, has secured the co-operation of new witnesses. Roberts-Smith's comprehensive loss before the full bench of the Federal Court – which affirmed the finding that the Special Air Service Regiment veteran ordered the murder of four Afghans – paved the way for the OSI to prosecute the former corporal.
7NEWS
16-05-2025
- Politics
- 7NEWS
Ben Roberts-Smith's defamation appeal fails in Federal Court
Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith failed to overturn a finding that he committed war crimes during the Afghanistan war, losing a seven-year battle against the Nine media group to clear his name. Three Federal Court judges ruled on Friday against the ex-SAS corporal, keeping the full reasons secret until next week to allow government lawyers to check they do not include confidential information. The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Canberra Times accused Mr Roberts-Smith of executing prisoners in 2009 and kicking a farmer named Ali Jain off a cliff in 2012, prompting a lawsuit that has been called the 'defamation case of the century'. In a summary of their judgement, the judges said Mr Roberts-Smith had failed to prove the evidence against him was too weak to meet the legal test of the balance of probabilities. 'Having carefully considered all these matters, we are unanimously of the opinion that the evidence was sufficiently cogent to support the findings that the appellant murdered four Afghan men and to the extent that we have discerned error in the reasons of the primary judge, the errors were inconsequential,' they wrote. 'Accordingly, the appeal must be dismissed with costs.' Two weeks ago the court heard the lead journalist involved, Nick McKenzie, said on a secretly recorded conversation that he had breached his ' ethics'. It also emerged that Nine paid a witness $700,000 to stay quiet about confidential legal information passed on to Mr McKenzie during the original case. Mr Roberts-Smith, who has always proclaimed his innocence, has not been charged.
West Australian
16-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Ben Roberts-Smith's defamation appeal fails in Federal Court
Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith failed to overturn a finding that he committed war crimes during the Afghanistan war, losing an seven-year battle against the Nine media group to clear his name. Three Federal Court judges ruled on Friday against the ex-SAS corporal, keeping the full reasons secret until next week to allow government lawyers to check they do not include confidential information. The Age, the Sydney Morning and the Canberra Times accused Mr Roberts-Smith of executing prisoners in 2009 and kicking a farmer named Ali Jain off a cliff in 2012, prompting a lawsuit that has been called the 'defamation case of the century'. Mr Roberts-Smith, who has always proclaimed his innocence, has not been charged. He will now have to decide whether to appeal to the High Court. More to come
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mercenary and coup plotter Simon Mann dies
Former British Army officer and mercenary Simon Mann, who was part of a coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea in 2004, has died of a heart attack while exercising, friends confirmed. The 72-year-old made millions of pounds from protecting businesses in conflict zones before he took part in the failed attempt to overthrow the west African nation's ruler. Mr Mann was sentenced to 34 years in prison on arms charges and later admitted he had been the "manager, not the architect" of the scheme. In 2009, the ex-SAS commando was pardoned, released and given 48 hours to leave the country. Mr Mann attended private boys' school Eton before studying at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy and then joining the Scots Guards. He became a member of the SAS - the army's special forces unit - and rose through the ranks to become a commander. In 2011, he said the attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea - which saw him arrested with fellow mercenaries after trying to load weapons onto a plane in Zimbabwe - was foiled by the CIA. After serving three years of his 34-year sentence in Zimbabwe, he was moved to Black Beach Prison in Equatorial Guinea. Speaking in 2011 about that move, he said "friends, family, and enemies" had told him "if that happens, you have had it, you're a dead man". After being pardoned and released, he expressed regret for what he had done, saying that "however good the money is", the moral case "has to stack up".
