Tonight the puzzling case of Elvin Penner and his actions at the BDF Training Area at Baldy Beacon has been brought into sharper focus. That's after the BDF Brigadier General and the Minister of Defence addressed the media today.
Last week Elvin Penner told us that the entire concept of a BDF Training Area is notional; he claims the land has always been private, but the owners never exercised their land rights, and it came to be used as a British Forces training area, which the government didn't own.
And now, he says the BDF is on private land, but today the Brigadier General told us: Penner is the one trespassing.
Brigadier General Anthony Velasquez, Commander, BDF
"Well from the point of view of the BDF, Mr. Penner trespassed into our training area and he removed military items from the grounds and that's our point of view."
Reporter-
"Were those items that Mr. Penner got a hold of were there was meant to also be destroyed? Or was the BDF going to keep those?"
Brigadier General Anthony Velasquez
"A part of it was supposed to be destroyed, was being destroyed and the other portion were still property of the BDF. Yeah."
Reporter-
"So then can you talk about how easy it was for him to actually get onto those training grounds that are supposed to be for the BDF?"
Brigadier General Anthony Velasquez
"Well it's a huge area it is several kilometers miles wide so there's no fence around the area at all. There is access by some minor roads and by other crossing hills and valleys. So it's not an area that is fenced off or anything like that so people can access the area. However during exercises we put up warning flags and we deliver a no tams so that people know that we are conducting exercises in the area. And also during the exercise we have centuries so there is no reason why Mr. Penner didn't know that we were there conducting these exercises."
Reporter-
"Do you expect that he should also face theft charges?"
Brigadier General Anthony Velasquez
"Well that's a matter for the police to determine based on the reports that we will give them."
