BiziBB
Mar 7, 08, 5:22 pm
This may have affected a few FTers in SIN recently. Not sure if it was T1 or T2.
Singapore terror scare cover-up claim (http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/singapore-terror-scare-coverup-claim/2008/03/07/1204780051453.html) [SMH]
An Australian aboard a plane intercepted by fighter jets in Singapore says the dramatic incident was the result of lies told by someone in Thailand angry at being denied a bribe.
Singapore scrambled F-16 fighter jets to intercept a Cessna 208, flown by Broome pilot Rhys Thomas, on January 22, saying it had not registered a flight plan.
The Australian-registered Cessna, en route from Thailand to Australia, was then escorted to land at Singapore's Changi Airport.
Commercial airspace over the airport was locked down for 50 minutes, forcing at least 16 aircraft to circle, delaying arrivals and departures and costing airlines thousands of dollars in fuel.
"The real reason our aircraft was assessed as a security threat by Singapore is that someone deliberately made false statements about our aircraft to Singapore authorities whilst we were in flight," Mr Johnson said.
"These included (that the) aircraft was stolen, (the) aircraft was not registered and (the) aircraft had left Thai airspace under suspicious circumstances.
"Someone was angry with Mr Thomas because he refused to pay bribes in Thailand.
"I witnessed bribes being asked by two Thai individuals at the time of settlement of the purchase of the aircraft at Koh Samui on January 21."
Singapore terror scare cover-up claim (http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/singapore-terror-scare-coverup-claim/2008/03/07/1204780051453.html) [SMH]
An Australian aboard a plane intercepted by fighter jets in Singapore says the dramatic incident was the result of lies told by someone in Thailand angry at being denied a bribe.
Singapore scrambled F-16 fighter jets to intercept a Cessna 208, flown by Broome pilot Rhys Thomas, on January 22, saying it had not registered a flight plan.
The Australian-registered Cessna, en route from Thailand to Australia, was then escorted to land at Singapore's Changi Airport.
Commercial airspace over the airport was locked down for 50 minutes, forcing at least 16 aircraft to circle, delaying arrivals and departures and costing airlines thousands of dollars in fuel.
"The real reason our aircraft was assessed as a security threat by Singapore is that someone deliberately made false statements about our aircraft to Singapore authorities whilst we were in flight," Mr Johnson said.
"These included (that the) aircraft was stolen, (the) aircraft was not registered and (the) aircraft had left Thai airspace under suspicious circumstances.
"Someone was angry with Mr Thomas because he refused to pay bribes in Thailand.
"I witnessed bribes being asked by two Thai individuals at the time of settlement of the purchase of the aircraft at Koh Samui on January 21."