The trial of American businessman Prince and four co-defendants will begin within a few days in Wiener Neustadt, of all places. They are accused of violating the War Materiel Act.
After years of investigations against Airborne Technologies, the trial for violation of the War Materiel Act is underway. The 54-year-old founder of Blackwater, businessman and intimate partner of former US President Donald Trump, Erik Prince, is one of the five defendants. He was also supposed to be present at the trial. A verdict is not expected next week; the date for the continuation has already been set for mid-December.
The core of the accusation is that two civilian agricultural aircraft of the “Ayres Thrush” brand were converted into military machines and taken abroad without the necessary authorization under the War Materiel Law, as “Kurier” has already reported. According to the criminal complaint, Airborne Technologies employees installed, among other things, shielding in the engine and cabin area, additional tanks in the spray tank installation space, and a special camera.
Four additional suspensions were also attached to the wings. Fuel tanks must be filled with aluminum – to reduce the risk of explosion. One of the aircraft was initially exported to Malta in November 2014 and flown to South Sudan with stops in December 2014 at the latest. The second plane went directly to Bulgaria in June 2015.
“Machines transported for profit outside the country”
The Public Prosecutor’s Office assumes that the machines, which are ultimately classified as war material, must be transported out of the country in a profitable and discreet way. It is likely that Prince suggested the crime plan together with the fifth defendant, a trained pilot and consultant. The aircraft must continue to be declared as agricultural machinery as there is no license requirement under the War Materiel Act to transport them across state borders. However, the real plan was always to bring at least one of the two machines to South Sudan and thus to a country under UN embargo – a venture for which no authorization would have been obtained through regular channels, according to the Public Ministry.
The first defendant is the 53-year-old Australian pilot who allegedly flew the two planes across the Austrian border. Prince is believed to be involved – as are two Airborne managing directors and another trained pilot, who also served as a consultant. The non-confessing quintet is accused of violating Section 7 of the War Materiel Act. If convicted, you could face up to three years in prison.
Financial advantage through renovations
The Public Prosecutor’s Office also requested the imposition of a fine on the association of Airborne Technologies, based in Wiener Neustadt. Justification for the accusation: The crime was committed by Airborne for its own benefit, as the modifications resulted in a financial advantage. Furthermore, licensing requirements relating to the export and transit of war material were violated.
Airborne specializes in special requirements in the aviation sector and equips aircraft with sensors and monitoring technology. Prince maintained a stake through a corporate structure until 2018. Airborne is said to have wanted to use the businessman and former US Navy Seal’s contacts in war zones around the world to profit from them. Airborne Technologies management has always denied the allegations.
Questions about attending the trial
There were doubts about Prince’s release until the summer. The 54-year-old man was eventually notified of the criminal complaint. According to spokeswoman Birgit Borns, the Wiener Neustadt regional court assumes that the American will be present at the hearing on Thursday next week.
There is also a second aspect to the Prince case. An investigation by the Wiener Neustadt Public Prosecutor’s Office is still ongoing into alleged violations of the Libyan arms embargo, authority spokesman Erich Habitzl said upon request. It is not possible to predict how long the research will last in this case.