CONSPIRACY IS CHARGED TO U.S. AT TRIAL OF 3 IN B26 CASE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000300270003-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 21, 1998
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: September 22, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

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By ORR KELLY
Star Staff Writer
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Th
spoo s o the Central Intel!
hence Agency will appea
throughout the trial here
three men accused of conspirin
to smuggle B26 bombers out
the United States, the attorne
for one of the defendants pre
dieted in his opening statemen
If there was conspiracy, the
chief conspirator was the U.S
government, Edwin Marger,
high-flying lawyer-pilot fro
Miami Beach, Fla., told the jur
of 10 men and two women
the case opened yesterda
afternoon.
Marger represents Joh
Richard Hawke, 29, a forme
Royal Air Force fighter pile
from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who
has described on a number o
occasions how he flew seven B
6 bombers from Tucson, Ariz.
where they had been bough
from the government and recon
ditioned, . to Tancos Air Force
Base near Lisbon for use by the
Portuguese . in their African
possession of Angola and Mo-
ambique.
"We will show," Marger said,
Chat at all times the govern-
ent knew what was going on -
nd that the government wanted
he planes moved to Portugal."
Sees a Pattern
During the trial, -he told the
ury, he will attempt to show
hat the shipment of planes
etween may and mid-August of
ast year followed a pattern
imilar to ` that in which the
bdillu type o attack-bombers
were provided clandestinely for
use in the Bay of Pigs invasion,
in the Congo and in other trouble
spots.
"Hawke thought and had
every reason to believe he was
working for the government of
the U.S.," 14 larger said.
Earlier in the day, Marger
asked U.S. District Judge John
0. Anderson to subpoena a
number of witnesses at govern-
ment expense because Hawke
could not afford to pay for their
ppearance at the trial here.
The list of witnesses he will
ubmit to the judge later in the
eek, he indicated, will include
number of high-ranking gov-
rnment officials, including
resent and former employes of
he CIA.
In his opening statement, U.S.
tty. John T. Curtin said he
would also call a number of
overnment officials to show
hat the alleged conspiracy was
arried on contrary to U.S.
olicy and without the knowl-
dge of the government.
Whether or not the govern-
ent itself will call an official
f the CIA to make a formal
enial of the offense contention
as not yet been decided.
The possibility of CIA. involve.
ent in the case was not raised
y Edward Brotsky of New
ork, attorney for Count Henri
o Montmarin, an alleged go-
etween in the deal. Instead, he
rgued that De Montmarin, a
renchman who is accompanied
court each day by an inter.
refer, thought .that export machineguns '
licenses had been obtained fort
the planes and that he was
engaged in a perfectly legiti-j I.
No opening statement was;
made by Paul Birzon of Btiffalo.+
Roderick, a Canadian who is
accused only under the con-
spiracy indictment and is not
accused, as are Hawke and De
Montmarin, of actually taking
planes from the country,
First Witness
In a surprise move, Curtin
called as his first witness Kcat
Griggers, a 42-year-old pilot'
mechanic who now runs a hat. and restaurant in Jamestown,'
Calif. An indictment against
Grigggers was dismissed Tuas-
day and he was immediately.'
witness.
Griggers told how he had
supervised the reconstruction of
the planes by the Hamilton
Aircraft Co. in Tucson for Grego-
ry Board, a 45-year-old resident
of Jamaica, the alleged brains
behind the entire operation.
Board left the country two days
before Hawke and Dc Montmarin
were arrested on Sept. 16, 1965,
and, the government says,
cannot be extradicted on the
Board instructed him, Grig.'
gers said, to pick surplus planes,,
with low airframe and engine
time,. and, if possible, to select;
those that could be fitted with',
nose sections capable of mount-
Sanitized -Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00149'R0003002700Q3-0