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Monday, 3 September, 2001, 14:58 GMT 15:58 UK

Guard accused of stealing defence secrets

Harrier jump jet - referred to in documents

Raphael Bravo is accused of stealing defence secrets

A security guard is in custody after facing charges of stealing Nato and defence secrets from British Aerospace.

Raphael Bravo, 29, from Scrubs Lane, Willesden, west London, was charged under the Official Secrets Act of illegally obtaining four documents "useful to the enemy".

He appeared before Judge Gerald Gordon at the Old Bailey on Monday and was remanded in custody until a plea and directions hearing on 5 November.

Mr Bravo, a British national, was employed by the Crusader security firm and was working at the British Aerospace offices in Stanmore, Middlesex.

He was arrested on 22 August by Special Branch and security service officers who searched an address in west London.

His counsel, Rock Tansey QC, told the court an application for bail was expected to be made later this week.

'State interests'

The charges claim that on or before 8 August this year, Mr Bravo obtained documents "useful to the enemy, belonging to British Aerospace Ltd, for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the State".

The four documents involved in the charges referred to:

Design requirement specification for Prophet Asic, a designated Nato secret - believed to be a state of the art electronic warfare surveillance system

DLH ship configuration and threat library data interface specification - thought to contain radar and other data essential to the defence of British shipping

Secrets belonging to the defence system of the Apache Wah-64 attack helicopter, designated for "UK eyes only"

The latest draft of the "Zeus MDD", designated "UK secret", with defence systems information on the Harrier jump jet.

Mr Bravo was also charged with one count of stealing four documents from British Aerospace Limited on or before 22 August this year.

A spokesman for the company, now called BAE Systems, refused to comment on the case.

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