NSY CommChannel Status: OPEN
Incoming Transmission...
Priority: NORMAL
From: Acting Commissioner Lucy Silsbury
To: All members of this channel
Subject: The Incident
Mr Riche, Douglas Palmer is now a civilian and has been out of touch with the Bretonia Police Authority for quite some time, during this time changes have been implemented to ensure the safety of our pilots and of the Bretonian population. I am not at liberty to detail these changes to you as you are a civilian. I would point out that these changes have not been detailed to Mr Palmer because of the same reason, hence his opinion comes from what he knew of the old organization; times change, we have to change with them. Also the Special Response Division was not formed under Palmer, it was formed under Commissioner Lauderdale in 816AS.
Please do pay attention to what we are saying because apparently you have misinterpereted what we are saying, not only have you called a witness without the credentials you toted but you have said that we are all in agreement that Sergeant Hone was out of his jurisdiction. As Mr Barnes will inform you, he was not, but perhaps you would like to hear this from a man learned in the intricacies of the law.
The following is an excerpt from the BPA manual.
Quote:The Special Response Division: Formed by the BPA under former Commissioner Sir Alan Lauderdale in 816 A.S, the SRD was formed in response to the increasing amount of attacks mounted by the Corsairs and the Mollys. Tasked with the specific goal of providing to the BPA the ability to tackle enemy capital ships, the SRD consists solely of B-3000 Challenger Bombers. SRD vessels are not regular police vessels, and as a result, do not have the same responsibilities as regular police vessels, but due to an increase in heavy pirate activity can occasionaly act as a normal police vessel if no other police vessel is nearby. SRD vessels are only to be used when there is a dire emergency or the threat of attack from enemy capital ships when BAF support is inadequate or not present. The SRD is tasked to patrol the Dublin gold fields to protect BMM ships and halt any smugglers coming through.
Sergeant Hone was returning from a battle where 'BAF support was inadequate', and on his return journey was informed of a possible smuggler originating in Dublin and heading towards Kusari, this again is covered by the excerpt from the BPA Manual. He was well within his rights as Mr Barnes has said.
And please don't flatter yourself with the idea that your organization is actively targeted by the BPA, we simply understand that some of your dealings are... questionable and it would be remiss of us to let any of it slip by.
I have been discussing this matter with Sir Alan Lauderdale's Adjutant, since the man himself has now passed, and he is in agreement with Mister Palmer.
What we have here is a clear desire to use deadly force, sanctioned by the Bretonian Government, against peaceful citizenry who have complied with the law.
There is no evidence my client was going anywhere near Kusari, Two thousand said in this fashion was clearly intended to reflect the sale price of the Gold on the station designated, not the overall profit margin. Your lawyer is jumping to conclusions based on circumstantial evidence, as, I will wager, did Sgt. Hone.
On the matter of licenses to carry Gold through Tau-31, when intercepted and told of this matter there was initial confusion, but my client stopped, turned around and headed back to the nearest official authourity to confirm this. Complying with the law.
No, he was in Bretonian space at the time of interdiction, having NOT crossed the marked line or jump hole, this is clearly prior to the action of violating any law. Intent cannot be proven, and it certainly cannot be used as justification for attempted murder.
It can safely be argued that Sgt. Hone willfully targeted a vessel for his own gain, seeking to hide, now, behind officials all too eagre to hang an innocent man.
Where is the evidence of intended destination, where is the evidence that Mister Jethro crossed the blockade with an illegal cargo? There is none, no, your officer had a suspicion, and instead of investigating it, he resorted to opening fire, destroying the ship and attempting to murder a man whose only crime was wanting to get away from a blood thirsty maniac in a ship obviously designed to destroy Kusari Capital Class Vessels.
Haul this man up on charges, do the right thing. The Director of MI5 stated this was a mistake, the former Commissioner of the BPA stated that this was wrong, I will have Lauderdales Adjutant testify confirming this if I have to.
Comm ID: Director Regis Lawson Location: New London, Home Office of Military Intelligence Encryption:High
Mister Riche,
This matter is a legal matter now, and falls into the hands of the Royal Court. As for an "Adjuntant", Sir Lauderdale never had one. I've checked and cross checked and counter cross-cross checked all related documents on Sir Lauderdale, and I have to say, the man or woman you're speaking of is a fraud. Let's not bare false testimonies here, and I would suggest answering to the court, Mister Barnes isn't a very patience man.
'Kingdom of Bretonia -- Royal Court' Wrote:Incoming Transmission
Comm ID: Nicholas Barnes
Origin: New London
With the involvement of the Royal Courts, this is now an official legal matter, and all logs, past, present, and future will be logged in our systems.
I will give a quick overview on the current case, as I understand it, to make sure we all, including myself, have a clear understanding of the claims, charges, and evidence.
Sergeant Hone, on a Special Response Division bomber, was notified of an IND transport with a large quantity of gold in its hold, heading for the Edinburgh system. Sergeant Hone attempted to catch him in Edinburgh. Sergeant Hone told the vessel to move to Planet Gaia for inspection. The IND vessel did not, and was found by Sergeant Hone at the Tau-31 jump hole. (Evidence #01) The IND vessel, piloted by Otis Jethro, answered the request for destination with the Colonial Republic. [color=#FF9900](Evidence #02)
Sgt. Hone notified Mr. Jethro that transporting goods through the Taus required a license (Note: Exceptions of IMG and Zoner vessels carrying goods to their respective Tau stations), and asked if Mr. Jethro possessed one. Mr. Jethro claimed he did. [color=#FF9900](Evidence #02) Shortly thereafter, Mr. Jethro claimed that no such license or law existed, and as such he didn't need a license for carrying goods into the Taus from Bretonia space. [color=#FF9900](Evidence #03) Bretonia does, in fact, require corporations to be approved prior to entering Tau-31, by the Crown, as noted in the Charter of Intersteller Law. (See: Bretonian Charter of Intersteller Law, Section; Trade and Cargo, Subsection; Cargo Transported to the Tau Systems, first passage, second sentence.)
Witness testimony says the IND claimed to make two thousand credits profit from each unit of gold he carried. [color=#FF9900](Evidence #04) Minato Harbor's registered payment for gold shipments is at 1,841c. Graves Station sells gold publicly at 400c. This is a profit of 1,441c per unit, a rather large distance from 2,000c, and not easily mistaken, nor rounded, to that value. Planet Honshu and Osaka Storage, according to publicly available gold payments, is at 2,502c and 2,451c respectively. This is a profit of 2,102c and 2,041c respectively, which seems to correspond with the IND trader's claims of profit. Sergeant Hone, acting on this information, concluded the IND was taking this gold to Kusari. Sergeant Hone, based on this information, took the stance that the IND was lying about his destination, which, by Bretonian law, designates him as an enemy of the crown. (See: Bretonian Charter of Intersteller Law, Section; Trade and Cargo, Subsection; Cargo Transported to the Tau Systems, last passage, last sentence.)
Mr. Jethro acquiesced and started heading towards the Leeds gate, and by his testimony, was heading to New London. Sergeant Hone demanded he cease movement, which is standard procedure for all law enforcement vessels dealing with suspected or known smugglers. Sergeant Hone gave repeated orders for the IND vessel "Jethro's Jewels" to cease movement, or he would open fire. [color=#FF9900](Evidence #05) Mr. Jethro refused to comply, so Sergeant Hone opened fire on his vessel and gave one last warning for him to stop. This demand was ignored and Sergeant Hone destroyed the ship. [color=#FF9900](Evidence #06)
In the course of refusing to comply with a police order, Mr. Jethro stated "Please destroy my ship, it will only give my report more weight." [color=#FF9900](Evidence #07)
Mr. Riche, legal counsel on behalf of Mr. Jethro and the Independent Neuralnet Division, claims Sergeant Hone was using improper equipment in the course of this event, notably a Special Response Division Challenger-class Bomber. Testimony by former Commissioner Palmer is that instructions he gave to the SRD were different from their current use. It has been noted by current Commissioner Silsbury that Challenger engines, after getting past the prototype stage and now being mass manufactured, have had extensive renovations and use far less fuel than their first designs. It is also to note that the current war against Kusari has reached a stalemate, with neither side gaining ground, and that trade with Liberty and Rheinland has risen sharply in the aftermath of the Curacao and Omega treaties, allowing more fuel, such as Rheinland's MOX, to supplement that which is produced by LD-14 in Leeds.
This allows the use of Challenger bombers to a greater extent and range. This point is moot, however, considering the SRD craft was not being utilized specifically to track smugglers from Dublin, even though their charter allows it, and the gold aboard the Jethro's Jewels originated from Dublin, meaning their mandate covers the use of SRD craft in the current situation. The SRD pilot, Sergeant Hone, was contacted in the midst of his relocating to a new position after a battle, and acting on that information, went to find the suspected smuggler in the absence of other police forces, which is also action covered by their mandate as appropriate use of SRD material. (See: Bretonia Police Authority Charter, Section; Organization, Subsection; Special Response Division)
These are the facts according to the currently available evidence.
Regardless of the destination of Mr. Jethro's shipment, it is my stance, based on this evidence, that he broke a written and documented law prohibiting unapproved corporate and unaffiliated transports from taking any goods from Bretonian space to the Taus, as noted in the Bretonian Charter of Intersteller Law. After being caught doing so, and informed this act was illegal, Mr. Jethro refused to comply to a police order to relocate to Planet Gaia for inspection, lied to the police about his possession of a license, then refused to comply to several demands for him to halt his vessel, which were responded to by appropriate police action to destroy his vessel on suspicion of smuggling and proven refusal to obey police orders during the course of an investigation.
Court Evidence; Bretonian Charter of Intersteller Law Bretonia Police Authority Charter Evidence #01 Evidence #02 Evidence #03 Evidence #04 Evidence #05 Evidence #06 Evidence #07
-Nicholas Barnes State Attorney, Bretonian Royal Courts
<div align="right][color=#FFFFFF]End Transmission
Signed,
Director Regis Lawson Home Office of Military Intelligence
Your right, Ms. Silisbury, I am a civilian, just like the Bretonia Police is a civilian organization. It might be true that the Princes who have achieved greatness are the ones who have taken little account their promises, but that is not so for chief commissioners. The vows to uphold the professional, dependable, and incorruptible persona of the Bretonia Police Authority are ones which someone should not take lightly, however in the replacement of upholding the peace by virtue of respect and responsibility with fear and militarism, I rather think those vows have been forgotten.
Yes, I have been away from my civilian duties for quite some time now, taking a rest I think I damn well deserve, but ones civic duties never leave him. If militarism and fear mongering are the recurring trends of Bretonia politics, then it is my duty as a Bretonia citizen to speak against that. I'm very happy to see myself gone from the pressures of office, but if the Home Office can succeed in continuing the trends which have lost our House sovereignty to upper Leeds and caused on us untold future repercussions, then I must say they have done a fine job in perpetuating their failure in their sole purpose. If this kind of martial law is continued, who do you think will be remembered as the villain? Which Chief Commissioner oversaw the refitting of one Challenger with three engines, instead of taking the same new engines and refitting three Hussars or Paladins with one engine (seeing as both of them use the same standard Bretonia engine)? The answers to both these questions are very similar.
I don't know how you can sleep at night, because when I was in your position making the same decisions you have to make, I knew I couldn't, and I was an honest man. Maybe that's what kept me awake then and why I can sleep now. When the time comes for you to lay your badge on the table, I can only pray for your restless nights.
[8:32:45 PM] Dusty Lens: Oh no, let me get that. Hello? Oh it's my grandma. She says to be roleplay.
[12:49:19 AM] Elgatodiablo: You know its nice that you have all that proof and all, Bacon... but I just don't believe you.
Incoming Transmission
Comm ID: Nicholas Barnes
Origin: New London
Mr. Riche, as I stated before, in the context of the laws your client violated, his destination is irrelevant. Regardless where he was heading, simply entering the Taus with cargo in hold is a crime, and Mr. Jethro was caught doing so. Mr. Jethro clearly admitted, as proven by previously-entered evidence (Evidence #01), that he was taking his goods through the Taus, to the Colonial Remnent. I will cover our claims of him lying about that later on in this transmission.
Witness testimony to the claims he made as to profit margins also guarantee his selling point was either Kusari or the Taus. Both meaning he had clear intent, which he admitted to, in entering the Tau systems. The fact that he was caught just prior to making the jump is only luck for our interdiction forces.. Not for your client. Being within ten kilometers of the Tau-31 jumphole, carrying Bretonian Gold, and admitting his destination as being within the Taus, he is in clear violation of the laws set down in our charter, and it clearly shows his intent, as much as you claim it does not. (See: Bretonian Charter of Intersteller Law, Section; Trade and Cargo, Subsection; Cargo Transported to the Tau Systems, first passage, second sentence.)
Your client further complicated the matter and extended his guilt to disobedience of police orders during the course of an investigation, as noted in previously-entered evidence. [color=#FF9900](Evidence #05, #06, #07) On top of that, your client lied about possessing a legal license for transportation into the Taus, which is also a crime.
Your client, in trying to fly to New London, was not finding the nearest official authority. He was, in fact, leaving the scene of a crime, in direct refusal to orders given by a Police Authority Officer. The Police are an official authority and as such, Mr. Jethro's actions were in violation of the law. Your client should have complied to all orders given by the officer, then made a complaint and motion for compensation after the matter was concluded. Instead he took illegal action throughout the encounter, and now faces legal consequences.
Proven by evidence, your client is in violation of laws concerning good shipments to the Taus, hampering a police investigation, and several counts of resisting arrest and disobedience of police orders during an investigation.
Then we can move on to the issue of his destination.
You claim his statement was referring to the total money to be earned by the sale of his goods, while our eyewitness testified that he specifically said his profit would be around 2,000 credits. [color=#FF9900](Evidence #04) Being a man of no small economic and trading experience, I think it's safe to say he would know the difference between the two. The claim that he was taking the jumphole instead of the Kusari-held jumpgate, and uses that as his evidence that he wasn't working for the Kusarians, could also be false. The Kusari Naval Forces, practicing standard military procedure, stop all authorized traffic through the warzone, that being Stokes and the Tau-31 Jumpgate. As such your client would have to take the jumphole whether he was going to the Colonials or the Kusarians. It's also worthy of note that his chances of being caught by our forces were smaller by taking that jumphole, rather than trying to fly through Leeds.
Given the above evidence, Sergeant Hone was right in acting on the information he had, which indicated the most likely destination of the IND ship was Kusari. Sergeant Hone executed proper procedure, and in response your client executed illegal action.
On to use of testimony, the testimony of previous Commissioners or alleged assistants has no legal standing in this court. The testimony of only the current Commissioner in regards to the Police Authority's methods and equipment is legally relevant. Former Commissioners lost their legal authority over the protocols of the Police Authority when they resigned.
It's also worthy of note that, considering the vast increase in transport armor quality over the last decade, bombers are becoming more and more necessary in interdiction duties within all of the houses, not just Bretonia. As such, focusing on economic improvements in the expansion of use of Bretonian bombers is a priority for our nation. I should also point out that you are incorrect in the claim that the Challenger, Hussars, and other ships use the same engines. They do not. Each ship has an engine specifically designed to work the most efficiently and effectively with the ship it is used for. Fitting bomber engines to a Hussar, or vice versa, would have detrimental affects that would lower efficiency and effectiveness and decrease that ship's ability to perform its functions.
-Nicholas Barnes State Attorney, Bretonian Royal Courts
Under the circumstances, and due to the bewildering accusations coming out of the Colonial Republic, I have advised my client to settle this matter with you, pay any outstanding fines, and close the book on this rather unfortunate affair.
Incoming Transmission
Comm ID: Nicholas Barnes
Origin: New London
Your client, being a first-time offender, has the option to pay a fine. The total amount would be fifteen million credits. Five for the illegal transportation of goods, five for disobeying a police order, and five for court fees.
If your client wishes to continue his trade into the northern Taus, I recommend petitioning for a license to transport goods across the Tau borders.
-Nicholas Barnes State Attorney, Bretonian Royal Courts
These terms are more than acceptable to my client. I would ask one further... favour of the Bretonian Government, perhaps a Public Service Announcement that will remind people of this particular law, and the correct procedure for being stopped by members of the Constabulary?
Now as for the Trade License through the Tau Systems, my clients are very interested in securing this as it will prevent further misunderstandings, and still allow us to do the vital humanitarian efforts with refugees, and to bring much needed supplies to the front lines.
Please consider this a formal application for such a License. We are happy to meet any terms you stipulate.