Former US Marine Corps fighter pilot Daniel Duggan, who has become an Australian citizen for 10 years now, has been detained at a maximum security facility in Australia's New South Wales state awaiting extradition to the US at the request of the FBI for allegedly training military pilots from China.
Duggan is locked up indefinitely down under while fighting an extradition order against him.
In an exclusive interview with the Australian public broadcaster ABC, it was revealed it was the first time in nine months that the former Marine and pilot-for-hire was given the opportunity to speak to journalists after his detention and that anything he might divulge on Australian media could be used against him.
"It's not that I want to speak out or decided to speak out, but I feel that I've had a very unfair ability to defend myself," he told the public broadcaster.
Duggan is facing conspiracy, arms trafficking, and money laundering charges by the US government. If found guilty, he could face up to 65 years in prison.
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Rogue Pilot
The accusations against Duggan originated from his work between 2010 and 2012 as an instructor for the Test Flying Academy of South Africa, when he was employed by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), China's armed forces, during the time Australian and Chinese navies were still conducting joint military exercises at sea.
His legal counsel Bernard Collaery told ABC he believed the charges were politically motivated amid tensions between the United States and China, further claiming that Australia, being both an American ally and a Chinese trade and security partner until recently, had a conflict of interest.
"You must agree it makes a good show trial in Washington where the United States system is known for it," he added. "If Australia does extradite him we're liable to see him become a pawn in this China game. It is very worrying."
The US indictment alleged Duggan received more than $182,000 for providing a range of services during that time, including teaching Chinese military pilots how to take off and land on an aircraft carrier. Duggan adamantly denied the allegations, stressing he was training civilian test pilots and not military ones. He also denied he concealed his compensation from authorities.
"Now I'm in prison, and no one else is," he added. "I'm happy that no one else is because they shouldn't be, because there was no law broken."
The Test Flying Academy of South Africa also told the ABC none of its training involved classified methods nor any frontline activities or defense services.
Meanwhile, the US State Department declined to give any comment to the Australian broadcaster, saying they are not to publicly comment on extradition matters as part of its long-standing policy.
Honorable Past
Inspired by his father's service as a US Marine pilot during the Korean War, Duggan followed his steps and flew for the same branch of service from 1989 to 2002, when he left the Marines with the rank of Major.
Fellow US Marine Col. Ben Hancock (Ret.) told the ABC he served under Duggan for two years, including a stint in the Persian Gulf in the late 1990s. He added the imprisoned Devil Dog was a "Jedi Knight" and the "cream of the crop. Hancock added Duggan was a weapons and tactics instructor, the highest tactical qualification any Marine could get, which he called the Marine Corps equivalent of the US Navy's "Top Gun" program.
"Hands down, highly respected, highly regarded, very proficient military jet pilot," he said.
When told about why Duggan was imprisoned, Hancock was shocked by the allegations, saying he was simply a man who knew how to fly planes and wanted to teach them to others.
Yankee Down Under
Duggan started his life in Australia in the early 2000s and met his wife Saffrine in 2011. They have six children together.
"The family is under a lot of duress," the jailed pilot told the ABC. "It's a scary process for a young child to see prison guards locking doors and gates and it's just not a very nice environment."
Duggan is set to face court Tuesday, Australian Time (July 25), where lawyers would argue for a temporary stay to his extradition.
Meanwhile, Australian Attorney General Mark Dreyfus also declined the ABC's request for an interview, but a spokesperson said there were two remaining stages of the extradition process, namely, a judge would determine whether a person is eligible for surrender, and a decision by Dreyfus himself whether the person should be surrendered.
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