British pilot charged with murder of 13 people in Central African Republic

A special judge will be appointed to assess the evidence and will then
recommend the next course of action, which includes progressing to a full
trial, said Firmin Feindiro, the CAR justice minister.

“They have already been interviewed once by the judge, and there will be
another interview soon,” he told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.

“This is an independent investigation that will gather evidence and
decide what happens next. They have been charged with murder and torture of
13 people.” Mr Simpson and Mr Mararv have been moved from the police
cells where they had been held since late March to Bangui’s central prison,
where there are no beds, no mattresses, no clean water and very basic health
facilities.

They could be held there for up to a year as the country’s justice system
investigates their case, Mr Feindiro added.

Mr Simpson said that he and his boss were being “framed” for the
murders by people living in the nearest town to their hunting concession,
some of whom were jealous at not being given jobs at the firm, or at having
recently lost contracts there.

“It’s pretty clear that the killings had nothing to do with us, but it
helped some of the guys in town follow their own agendas to blame us,”
he said.

He has worked for Mr Mararv’s company for two years as both general manager
and as the chief pilot bringing wealthy clients to the firm’s camps by light
aircraft from the capital.

Brought up on a farm on the North Yorks Moors, he is the son of a well-known
local farmer who breeds pheasants for shoots.

His brother, Paul Simpson, said that David was “remarkably upbeat”
and that he felt that the developments suggested that there would soon be
some momentum to his brother’s case.

“He’s actually quite relieved that there’s some kind of progression, that
they have finally formally accused them of doing it after so long not
telling them anything,” he said yesterday.

Emelie Mararv, who owns the big game hunting company with her husband, said
that there was still some confusion over the next steps, but echoed that she
was happy that there had movement in the investigation.

“It brings us a step closer to getting Erik and David out,” she said
yesterday from Sweden, where she had been meeting with the country’s foreign
ministry.

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London refused to
comment on the developments, but added, “We are providing consular
assistance and continue to monitor the situation closely.”

Landlocked CAR still has some of Africa’s most untouched wilderness areas.

Mr Mararv’s company offers hunting safaris, offering clients the opportunity
to shoot lion, giant forest hog and buffalo, among other species.

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