Five former employees of Blackwater face illegal weapons charges
WASHINGTON:
US prosecutors unveiled illegal weapons charges on Friday against five former employees of the controversial security firm previously known as Blackwater, including the company's ex-president.
A federal indictment accused them of having illegally stockpiled and altered weapons and of having falsified registration forms in a bid to "gain an advantage over competitors... and thereby profit from obtaining and keeping government's contracts."
The company, which is now known as Xe, has been implicated in a slew of scandals related to its operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. It was banned from Iraq after allegations its guards opened fire on innocent civilians, though a US court cleared company employees of criminal charges.
US prosecutors unveiled illegal weapons charges on Friday against five former employees of the controversial security firm previously known as Blackwater, including the company's ex-president.
A federal indictment accused them of having illegally stockpiled and altered weapons and of having falsified registration forms in a bid to "gain an advantage over competitors... and thereby profit from obtaining and keeping government's contracts."
The company, which is now known as Xe, has been implicated in a slew of scandals related to its operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. It was banned from Iraq after allegations its guards opened fire on innocent civilians, though a US court cleared company employees of criminal charges.