Police Drop Investigation Of Curious EDO Activist

Sussex police have dropped another criminal investigation of a protester
who took part in a student anti-war demonstration outside EDO MBM on 21
May 2007.

The curious protester was arrested on suspicion of Aggravated Trespass
after entering the EDO MBM car park by slipping through a gap between two
police officers guarding an entrance. He made it to the front door of the
building, which was unfortunately locked, before being apprehended. He was
then taken away and held at Hollingbury Detention Centre for over 14 hours
before being released without charge on draconian and unlawful bail
conditions.

Later a letter from Sussex police showed CID were still investigating
whether or not the curious protester had committed a crime and extended
police bail for another two months, now looking into the possibility of a
lesser charge under Section 5 on grounds of ‘harassment, alarm, and
distress’.

Shortly before the curious protester entered the car park, Paul Hills,
Director of EDO MBM had accused the protester of harassing him (in front
of two police witnesses), as the protester asked him (on video tape) to
explain why he had lied under oath in several court cases about his
company’s supply of components to Israel.

Today police confirmed they would take no further action in the
investigation. If charges had been brought, Paul Hills, as witness for the
prosecution, would have had to answer questions in court about the
interview that he claimed had caused him harassment, and the curious
protester would then be able to claim a defence of ‘detecting crime’, thus
opening up the question of lawfulness of Mr Hills evidence in previous
trials.

Andrew Beckett, for Smash EDO said today. ‘ Rather than trying to
intimidate peaceful protesters who are simply trying to bring attention to
the truth, Sussex CID would be better off investigating EDO MBM’s web of
deceit, and the real links between EDO MBM’s products and genodidal war
crimes committed in Palestine, Iraq, and Afghanistan. If they think we are
going to go away because they insist on throwing people in a police cell
for 14 hours just for asking arms dealers awkward questions, then they
underestimate our resolve. We will be here until the truth is brought to
light, and EDO are gone for good.’

ENDS