Northbridge Services Group, Ltd.
"We are not mercenaries. Northbridge is a legitimate private military company that only works for democratically elected national governments or recognized agencies." -Andrew Williams, a head of Northbridge Services Group.
Contents
Overview
Northbridge Services Group, Ltd., founded by retired British and American soldiers and registered in the Dominican Republic[1], has been linked to the Executive Outcomes of nineties notoriety, probably because http://www.executiveoutcomes.com redirects to http://www.northbridgeservices.com/, and probably because Northbridge's US rep and bodyguard to celebs Pasquale DiPofi's former company in Michigan was called Executive Outcomes, Inc.,[2] and perhaps also because he made a claim on the outstanding debt owed from Sierra Leone to the real EO.
African Excursions
In 2003, while Liberia was awash in civil war and President Charles Taylor was ducking capture and overthrow, Northbridge stepped forward and offered to kidnap and extradite him for $4 million. The English government "scoffed" at this idea, and the offer was not taken up [3].
At the same time, in April of 2003, Northbridge came under scrutiny from the British Parliament as expressed by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, "Her Majesty's Government are gravely concerned at reports that Northbridge Services Group, a UK company, is recruiting British, South African, French and other ex-servicemen as military units to work in Cote d'Ivoire.... Any deployment of foreign military units at this time would seriously undermine the peace process and the efforts of the UK and wider international community to support a durable, political settlement. We have made it clear to Northbridge Services Group that the UK Government would deplore any intervention of this sort." [4]
In early May of 2003, two teams of Northbridge commandos made up of former members of the Special Boat Service, Special Air Service and Royal Marines began flying to shore hostages held for two weeks on a Nigerian off-shore oil rig. The hostages were held by strikers who apparently became willing to talk when they heard the commandos were coming. [5]
On August 7, 2003, The Financial Times reported the FBI and UK customs were investigating whether Northbridge had violated UN arms embargoes in their plans to involve themselves in the overthrow of President Taylor. Northbridge had apparently, unsuccessfully, tried to obtain funds from the Sierra Leone Ad Hoc Tribunal for the capture of Taylor [6]. Taylor was wanted for funding the RUF's appalling atrocities in that country's civil war.
Said DiPofi, on why they did not exchange services for mineral concessions, "We don't want to do that. Commercial concessions have given the industry a bad name." [7]
No! Me Executive Outcomes
DiPofi was arrested September 6, 2004 at Detroit Metropolitan Airport upon returning from Iraq where he had been working as a security officer for military convoys. He was charged with various tax evasion violations as well as counts of wire fraud and intimidation. He surrendered his passport and was released on a half million dollar bail.
When the classic Executive Outcomes left the civil war in Sierra Leone, they never received payment for $23 million worth of services. In the pursuit of the debt, an English company, Audax Trading, approached the same named company from Michigan in February 2002 about collecting the debt. Knowing full well they were not the intended Executive Outcomes, DiPofi and his partner, Eastpointe police officer Christopher Belan, produced fraudulent documents and claims to the government of Sierra Leone via Audax for the $23 million.[8]
In addition, they were charged with contacting EOSA sister company EO-Panama accountant, Michael Grunberg, who was tasked by the real EO to follow the debt, first with offers to aid in the debt collection, then with threatening faxes, calls and photos sent by DiPofi's alias, John Bouchard.
One of these faxes read: "It should be suggested that your non-military background is clouding your senses.... you have greatly underestimated your adversaries. You should be very concerned." [9] These faxes were traced back to DiPofi's office in Mt. Clemens. One call allegedly stated, "If you have not made contact by Friday, then I will make my move. I have been with you for two months and it will be swift and you won't know anything about it." [10]
DiPofi plead guilty to charges of fraud on Tuesday, October 24, 2006.[11] He was sentenced to 40 months in prison at the end of March 2007. [12]
Personnel
- Robert Kovacic: President
- Andrew Williams: UK Director
- Pasquale DiPofi: US rep
SourceWatch Resources
Contact
Northbridge Services Group
United Kingdom
122-126 High Road
London NW6 4HY
U.K.
+44 (0)2076 812725 Office/Fax
+1 703 997-8943 Office/Fax
Ukraine
346, 28A Stalskogo St.,
02139, Kyiv, Ukraine
+ 380 44 442 3189 Office
+ 380 44 442 3189 Fax
