Discovery Gaming Community

NSY CommChannel Status: OPEN
Incoming Transmission...
Priority: High
From: Commander Lucy Silsbury
To: The BAF Admiralty
Subject: Commander Goodmens' Improper Actions


Dear Sirs

I feel I must bring to your attention the ostentatious and illegal actions of one of your Commanders operating in the Bretonian Armed Forces.

Yesterday, from 0300 hours Sirius standard time, Commander Goodmen displayed some behavior completely unfitting for an Officer of the BAF.

I was called in to arrest an Ageira Captain piloting a Mastodon Liberty hauler. According to Commander Goodmen the pilot of the Sovreign (which was now moored on Birmingham station in Manchester) had brought with him a Liberty Navy escort that had fired on his Templar when he asked it to leave Bretonia space. Goodmen and two of his lackeys had the trader cornered and were harassing him to pay a fine for disrupting a tradelane.

The Captain claimed otherwise, stating that the escort was not intentional and had been asked to remain in Liberty but the Navy pilot had followed him through. He then disrupted a tradelane in order to escape from Goodmen who supposedly engaged him after the Navy chap was sent packing.

I reminded the Ageira Captain that disrupting the flow of traffic was a punishable offense but he insisted it was in self defense. Goodmen continued to make demands and deny the words of the trader. Apparently Goodmen engaged the trader (who was completely clean when later scanned, a cargo hold full of polymers) on the grounds that he was hostile for bringing a Navy ship into Bretonia.

On assurance that the pilot would be under my protection if he unmoored so I could check his ship for any possible thing that could have provoked Goodmen while said Commander repeatedly tried to over-rule all my actions.

The Bretonian Police Authority respect the martial law currently in place over the system of Leeds but the Bretonian Armed Forces must yield command of legal matters in other systems to BPA Officers if present.

It seems Goodmen only wanted my presence as an added incentive for the trader to pay the fine directly to himself. This is illegal conduct and could easily be considered profiteering.

I ordered the BAF not to do a single thing as the trader returned to his ship and one of them obeyed (obviously Lt.Cdr Kalo understands Bretonian law).
However, Ensign Aleski in his Challenger partook in the order to open fire issued by Goodmen as soon as the ship poked its nose out of the no fire distance around the station.

Despite my furious warnings Goodmen continued to blatantly ignore me, ordering Aleski to ignore me. I did in the end order the Trader to pay a fine but to me and not Goodmen. I know that with me the money went to the Fines Commission, with your Commander I am inclined to believe the money might be found lining his own pockets.

The trader left with an escort and I headed to New London where I encountered a Corsair Gunboat immediately outside the Jumpgate. Despite my misgivings of the encounter earlier I contacted Goodmen who speedily came with three of his men.

The Corsair had a number of civilian, Police and Armed forces pilots aboard and I began negotiating for their safe return. The Corsair complied and jettisoned all the escape pods.
Before I had a chance to give the Corsair a fair ultimatum as is procedure, Commander Goodmen yet again illegally took control of the situation and ordered the BAF to fire on the Gunboat.

I will point out here that the Corsair had made no hostile action towards us until this point where he opened fire on the BAF in response.
Despite my repeated threats of court marshal and orders to stand down Goodmen still ignored me. In fact he ordered his men to ignore me (see evidence).

The Corsair was destroyed successfully and I left disgusted with Goodmens actions.

Today I was contacted by a person going by the call sign Natasha. She requested an audience with me on the subject of unpunished illegal actions.

Not surprisingly, at the mention of it being a BAF Officer who had committed the offence, Austin Goodmen jumped to mind. This was confirmed; another case of the Commander opening fire seemingly for no reason.

I do not believe it is the mandate for Officers of the Bretonian Armed Forces to attack traders for doing very little wrong. I also strongly detest the way he illegally overruled my orders in areas where the BPA have jurisdiction.

Goodmen is an unstable Officer who seems to be out for the blood of anyone he can find.
If he is not discharged from the Armed Forces or at the very least, remonstrated with and demoted, it will paint a very poor picture of your Admiralty.

You do not want to appear to be sweeping reports of an Officer under the proverbial carpet, do you?

This is a situation that requires immediate mending. BAF officers do not have the right to fine persons when BPA personal are present! Neither do they have the right to attack people with only a scrap of a reason!

As a keeper of the peace I cannot allow hooligans to run rampant through Bretonia destroying anything that flies and justifying it with their position in the Armed Forces!

Yours with a certain amount of disgust.


Commander Lucy Silsbury

Bretonian Police Authority


Evidence:
http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq145/I...odmenIgnore.jpg
http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq145/I...e/screen311.jpg
http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq145/I...e/screen310.jpg


End Transmission...
NSY CommChannel Status: Closed

[Incoming Transmission]
[Source: Admiralty HQ, New London]
[CommID: Fleet Admiral Nelson]

Upon examination by the Admiralty, this matter has been deferred to a Court Marshal for further investigation. Rest assured that the matter will be dealt with fairly and judiciously. You may be called by the Court Marshal to give further evidence before a final decision into this matter has been reached; please prepare a dossier of relevent evidence including those of other offences fowarded to yourself by this "Natasha". The Armed Forces has every intention of ensuring that all accusations are fully investigated and dealt with accordingly.

I attach a copy of Article V, Sections 3 and 4, of the Bretonian Constitutional Act 816, for legal reference.

Sir Stanley Nelson
Fleet Admiral

[End Transmission]

Bretonian Constitutional Act 816, Article V Wrote:Section 3 - Writs of Authority

i) Over Citizens

As the primary law enforcement agency within Bretonian Space, the Bretonian Police Authority reserves the right to dictate and enforce the laws set down by the Bretonian Parliament and authorized with the full consent of Her Majesty, Queen Carina I. All citizens accused of a crime must be:

- Informed of their crime.

- Informed of their right to a trial in a Bretonian Royal Court.

- Charged for their crime.

- Punished for their crime.


ii) Over Other Lawfuls

As the primary law enforcement agency within Bretonian Space, the Bretonian Police Authority maintains authority over bounty hunters under the employ of the Bounty Hunter's Guild, mercenaries under the employ of private entities[1], mercenaries under the employ of the Bretonian Armed Forces, and mercenaries under the employ of the Bretonian Police Authority while in Core Bretonian Space[2].

In the event that a law enforcement agency other than a Bretonian Police Authority constable is caught breaking Bretonian Interstellar Law[3] by a Bretonian Police Authority constable, the offender is to either be taken into custody and be tried in the Bretonian Royal Court or be charged the fines and held in the contempt lain out by the Bretonian Charter of Interstellar Law.

[1]: Private entities include self employed persons, persons working under a corporation[4], and persons working for the Bretonian Bureaucracy.

[2]: Core Bretonian Space includes New London, Manchester, Leeds, Cambridge, and Newcastle, a.k.a., uncontested Bretonian Space.

[3]: The Bretonian Charter of Interstellar Law dictates the laws of Bretonia as lain out by her Majesty Queen Carina I and Parliament.

[4]: Corporations are only legal entities which maintain a public front and public stock exchanges, such as Bretonian Mining and Manufacturing (BMM), Border Worlds Exports (BowEx), Gateway Shipping, Planetform Inc. and their foreign counterparts.


iii) Over Bretonian Armed Forces
Under no circumstances is a constable under the authority of the Bretonian Police Authority to intrude on a military operation unless the necessary pretenses are met. The pretenses include:

-Military personnel being under the influence of narcotics or other debilitating substances.
-Military personnel being in the possession of narcotics or other debilitating substances.
-Military personnel being in the possession of stolen or illegal[1] property.
-Military personnel being directly obstructive to the keeping of Bretonian peace.
-Military personnel breaking one of the various Bretonian Laws.
-Military personnel committing a war crime within Bretonian Core Space[2].
-Military personnel committing an act of treason against her Majesty Queen Carina I.

Bretonian Military personnel found guilty of a civilian crime will be charged and punished by the BPA presiding officer. Bretonian Military personnel found guilty of a crime of Treason or War Crimes, or refusing to comply with BPA punishment for other crimes, will be charged and detained by the BPA, until such time as a Release Warrant is presented to the BPA, signed by a member of the Admiralty Board, and countersigned by the Home Secretary or Defence Minister. Upon the issue of such a Warrant, the BAF officer being held is to be transferred to BAF custody, where he may either be released or Court Marshalled. Court Marshalls are held before the Admiralty Board, and fall outside of civilian judicial processes.

[1]: Illegal Properties are the same illegal properties particularly named in the Bretonian Charter of Interstellar Law.

[2]: Core Bretonian Space includes New London, Manchester, Leeds, Cambridge, and Newcastle, a.k.a., uncontested Bretonian Space


iv) Over Foreign Nationals

Foreign Nationals are persons who identify themselves as associated with one of the three[1] other houses of the Sirius sector.

The term, “diplomatic immunity,” does not exist in Bretonia. All visitors to Bretonia are expected to act accordingly with the laws laid by the Crown and enforced by the Police Authority. All foreign visitors are to be treated like Bretonian citizens. They will receive the same courteous treatment and respect, and be expected to pay the same fines and receive the same punishments as any other Bretonian.

[1]: At this time, all unapproved Kusarian nationals are considered terrorists.


Section 4 - Writ of Power

The Bretonian Police Authority reserves itself as the primary internal law enforcement agency within uncontested Bretonian space.

The BPA has to power to:

- Enforce the Law over citizens, foreign nationals, Bretonian military, and other lawful persons within uncontested Bretonian space.

- Charge someone for a crime after it has been committed, so long as significant evidence has been collected.

- Prevent and deter the act of piracy within Bretonia.

- Escort persons to Bretonian Border Stations.

- Act as the first line of defense and negotiation in the event of terrorism. Terrorism is defined as the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce a lawful authority.

- Investigate any Bretonian citizen believed to be in violation of a crime. A Writ of Investigation must be obtained from the Sheriff of Edinburgh’s office at Aberdeen before this occurs.

- Issue and Create Licenses deemed appropriate and necessary by the Crown and Parliament.

[Incoming Transmission]
[Source: Admiralty HQ, New London]
[CommID: Fleet Admiral Nelson]


The Court Marshal appointed to investigate allegations against Commander Austin Goodmen shall consist of Captain Evyn Hunter, Commodore Blake Owen and Commodore Winston Doyle, presided over by myself. Any charges to be brought against Commander Goodmen are to be forwarded to me immediately, whether they pertain to the original incident or any other. Commander Silsbury, you are asked to collate any accusations against Commander Goodmen, either originating from yourself or anyone else, and submit them privately to myself before the Court Marshal can commence its hearings.


Sir Stanley Nelson
Fleet Admiral

[End Transmission]