UK trucker jailed
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In
gun muddle
• Paul Ashwell, the Northampton lorry driver being held in a Greek jail over the Iraqi "Doomsday Gun" affair, could face a minimum fiveyears in jail if tried and found guilty of illegally transporting the alleged artillery components into Greece.
As CM went to press Ashwell was in Patras prison. A spokesman for the British Consulate in Athens said Ashwell is awaiting the outcome of investigations into his case by the Greek examining magistrate who will decide, in consultation with the public prosecutor, what the next step will be. "There could be no charge at all, or he could be charged with illegally bringing weapons into Greece, or illegally bringing weapons through Greece, destined for another country," said the spokesman. "We have been assured that the Greek authorities are trying as hard as they can to get things moving quickly. We hope it will be days rather than weeks."
The driver's MP, Michael Morris, says that if the Greek authorities do press charges, the British Government would ask for bail so that Ashwell could return to England.
"At the moment we are moving heaven and earth to get things moving. I am seeking an audience with the Greek ambassador as soon as possible," says Morris.
The Road Haulage Association has been inundated with calls from drivers concerned for Ashwells's welfare. Alan Gidley, the RHA's south-eastern area officer, says: "They want to make sure everything possible is being done. They are concerned that he will not be harassed any more and will not suffer any financial loss as a result of the affair."
Drivers are also concerned for their own safety when travelling abroad. International driver Russell Goff, who has worked alongside Ashwell for MCL, says: "The only way we know what goods we are carrying is from the descriptions given to us on the paperwork. If this is false or incorrect it now seems that it is the driver's fault — it is certainly his problem."
Leading transport lawyer Jonathon Lawton advises any driver who is unsure about his load to make proper enquiries. "He needs something in writing to show that the load he is carrying is not in contravention of any domestic law of the countries he may be travelling through," says Lawton.
The affair has raised a storm in Parliament, where MPs of all parties have protested that Ashwell has been made a scapegoat for Whitehall's muddle and incompetence.
Both the Foreign Office and Customs and Excise have stressed Ashwell's innocence. Foreign Office Minister William Waldegrave told the House of Commons that although Ashwell's load was almost certainly part of the so-called doomsday weapon, he was not knowingly involved in any offence: "We think he is innocent of any offence. But under Greek law it is illegal to import firearms without a permit and technically we must respect that . . . this is a matter for their courts," he said.
He said it was bad luck that resulted in Ashwell being caught up in the case.
Labour MP David Winnick says Ashwell is a totally innocent party in a murky affair involving lies, deceit and evasion in Whitehall. Labour Foreign Affairs spokesman George Foulkes has demanded a full inquiry and statement, blaming Ministers for trying to pass the buck on to the haulage industry and innocent parties like Ashwell.
Ashwell was sub-contracted to two haulage firms: Bedfordshire-based Michael Cave and freight forwarding company Davies Turner.
Both companies have issued statements explaining the sequence of events and both have stressed their innocence. Philip Stephenson, joint managing director of Davies Turner says: "We have unwittingly been involved in shipments that suddenly became highly sensitive and we stopped the fifth load as soon as we were aware the consignments might not be being used for a petro-chemical plant." • Truck driver Brian Gardiner from Falkirk was killed last week when his truck smashed through safety barriers on the Kingston Bridge in Glasgow, fell 20m onto the quayside and toppled into the River Clyde.
The truck, belonging to John Russell (Grangemouth) is thought to have jack-knifed during a hailstorm. Gardiner was an experienced heavy good vehicle driver who had worked for the firm for seven years.
The safety barriers on the bridge have been breached four times since it was opened in 1970: now BSI is expected to announce revised standards for bridge safety barriers.