Tim Matthews, a spokesman for the company, said the case stemmed from an inspection of Global’s main Kabul armory a few months ago. Afghan authorities found 11 weapons that were not on the list of firearms registered with the Afghan government, he said. Matthews said the additional weapons were unserviceable guns sent from personnel outside Kabul, to be used for spare parts. He said all weapons were acquired legally and were kept safe at all times.
Great, another contractor sent to jail in Afghanistan. I certainly hope the company will fight to get Michael Hearn out of jail as soon as possible, and not allow him to get sucked into a corrupt and pathetic prison system.
I also find it really discouraging that contractors are being hassled and imprisoned, and yet hundreds of Taliban are released from detention so they can go back to the battlefield and kill more troops. Crazy Karzai strikes again.
The other part of this story that needs mentioning is our friend Kimberly Motley is all over this one. I posted a deal on her legal work in regards to contractors out there that are currently suffering in Afghan prisons, and I am sure she will be doing all she can to work with authorities on this one. Hopefully Global’s lawyers and local fixers are working hard to settle this stuff, and they should not be afraid to draw upon Kim’s help for this one. –Matt
British private security company employee jailed by Afghans amid crackdown
By Ernesto LondoñoThursday, December 9, 2010
Afghan authorities this week arrested a British private security company employee and sentenced him to eight months in jail, the latest move in the government’s crackdown on private security firms.
Global Strategies Group consultant Michael Hearn was arrested Wednesday for allegedly failing to register weapons with the government.
The move comes amid uncertainty about how aggressively and quickly the Afghan government intends to disband the vast network of private security companies that flourished in the country as security worsened in recent years.
A day before the arrest and prosecution, Afghan officials announced they would take a more lenient approach to expelling the groups, an acknowledgment that the country’s security forces are not yet up to the task of protecting diplomatic installations and other sensitive sites.