Erinys International

Erinys International is a British-founded private security company and security-services group. The company was established in 2001 by Jonathan Garratt, a retired British Army officer, and was registered in the British Virgin Islands. Its operational headquarters were in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, while associated group companies maintained offices in Andover, Hampshire, and Johannesburg. The group developed subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo, together with associated companies in Iraq and Nigeria. The Erinys Group's activities covered protective security, security support, communications, logistics, and related services for personnel and physical assets. Erinys South Africa followed a somewhat different business model from the other group entities, concentrating on continuing and ad hoc risk evaluations of countries and projects, particularly in Africa. This gave the group a mix of operational security contracting and advisory work rather than a single narrowly defined service line. A significant early development was the formation of Erinys South Africa in 2002. The company acquired the risk-assessment business of Strategic Concepts Pty Ltd, which had been formed by Sean Cleary, a former South African diplomat. Cleary became a director of Erinys International but resigned in 2003 after the group obtained its first contract in Iraq. The company also recruited Alistair Morrison OBE MC in early 2003. Morrison left in March 2004 for a senior role at Kroll and later rejoined Erinys's executive board in December 2008. Iraq became the group's most prominent operating theatre during the post-2003 reconstruction period. Erinys Iraq Ltd was registered in the British Virgin Islands in August 2003 and subsequently registered in Iraq. Under a contract from the Coalition Provisional Authority, Erinys recruited and trained an Oil Protection Force for Iraq's Ministry of Oil. The original requirement was for approximately 6,500 personnel, but the force expanded during the contract to approximately 16,000 Iraqi staff protecting 282 locations and using an aerial-surveillance capability. The contract concluded in December 2004, when the force and its assets were transferred to the Ministry of Oil. Erinys also supplied security and support for reconstruction work performed under the United States Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division. Its responsibilities included escorting civilian personnel who inspected reconstruction projects across Iraq, operating a nationwide radio communications network, and conducting specialist security surveys and assessments. These contracts placed the company within the rapidly expanding private-security market that supported military, governmental, energy, and reconstruction operations in Iraq. The company attracted controversy in 2004 after The Observer published photographs and allegations concerning the treatment of a 16-year-old Iraqi detainee in Kirkuk. The reports said the youth had been restrained with six automobile tyres and deprived of food and water for a period of 24 hours. Erinys denied the allegations, stating that the boy had been released unharmed after only a short period. One employee shown in the published photograph was subsequently suspended. The incident became one of the publicly reported allegations surrounding private contractors operating in Iraq during the period. Erinys International was also drawn into an unrelated fictional-representation issue. In 2005, the BBC drama series Waking the Dead broadcast an episode featuring a fictional former British Army officer named John Garrett who established a private-security company. In 2008, the BBC apologized and clarified that the criminal character and events were fictional, were not intended to resemble the real Jonathan Garratt, and were not based on Erinys International. Publicly available reference material does not establish the group's present ownership, financial condition, current leadership, or operational status.

Erinys International was founded in 2001 by Jonathan Garratt, a retired British Army officer. Although the company was British-founded, the group was registered in the British Virgin Islands and operated internationally. Its operational headquarters were in Dubai, with additional offices in Andover, Hampshire, through Erinys UK Ltd, and Johannesburg, through Erinys South Africa Ltd. In 2002, Erinys expanded its African risk-advisory capability by forming Erinys South Africa after acquiring the risk-assessment business of Strategic Concepts Pty Ltd. Strategic Concepts had been established by Sean Cleary, a former South African diplomat. Cleary became a director of Erinys International but left the board in 2003, following the group's first Iraq contract. Erinys South Africa subsequently focused on ongoing and ad hoc evaluations of country and project risks, especially in African markets, while other Erinys entities provided more operational security and support services. The group's most consequential expansion occurred in Iraq after the 2003 invasion. Erinys Iraq Ltd was registered in the British Virgin Islands in August 2003 and later registered in Iraq. The Coalition Provisional Authority awarded the company a contract to recruit and train an Oil Protection Force for the Iraqi Ministry of Oil. The initial plan called for 6,500 personnel, but the force grew to approximately 16,000 Iraqi staff protecting 282 sites and supported by aerial surveillance. The contract ended in December 2004, when the force and related assets were handed to the Ministry of Oil. Erinys obtained additional work supporting reconstruction activities in Iraq. For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division, the company provided security escorts for civilian personnel inspecting reconstruction projects. It also supplied a nationwide radio communications network and specialist security survey and assessment services. These assignments illustrate the group's broader model: combining armed or protective services with communications, logistics, risk analysis, and operational support. The company's Iraq operations were subject to public controversy in 2004. The Observer published photographs and allegations concerning the treatment of a 16-year-old Iraqi detainee in Kirkuk. The reports stated that the youth had been restrained with six car tyres and denied food and water for 24 hours. Erinys rejected the allegations and said that the youth had been released unharmed after minutes. An employee shown in the photograph was later suspended. The episode formed part of the wider scrutiny applied to private security contractors working in Iraq during the reconstruction period. Erinys was also connected indirectly to a television-programme controversy. In April 2005, the BBC series Waking the Dead broadcast 'Duty and Honour', which included a fictional former British Army officer named John Garrett who had established a private-security company. In May 2008, the BBC apologized and stated that the fictional murderer and war criminal were not intended to resemble the real Jonathan Garratt and that the programme was not based on Erinys International. Reference material identifies subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo, as well as associated companies in Iraq and Nigeria. It does not provide reliable current information about ownership, financial performance, present executives, or whether the group remains operational, so those fields are left unspecified.

• 2008

  BBC clarification concerning Waking the Dead

  [1]Erinys Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The BBC apologized and clarified that a fictional character in the programme was not based on Erinys International or Jonathan Garratt.

• 2004

  Oil Protection Force contract completed

  [1]Erinys Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The Iraq Ministry of Oil assumed control of the force and its assets after the contract ended in December.

• 2003

  Erinys entered Iraq

  [1]Erinys Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  Erinys Iraq Ltd was registered in August, and the group secured a Coalition Provisional Authority contract for Iraq's Oil Protection Force.

• 2002

  Erinys South Africa formed

  [1]Erinys Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The group formed Erinys South Africa after acquiring the risk-assessment business of Strategic Concepts Pty Ltd.

• 2001

  Erinys International founded

  [1]Erinys Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  Jonathan Garratt established the British-founded private security group.

International private security, protective services, risk assessment, communications, logistics, and support for personnel, assets, energy infrastructure, and reconstruction operations.

• Private security

  Protective security services

  Security services for personnel, facilities, infrastructure, and other assets. In Iraq, this included escorting civilian reconstruction personnel and protecting oil installations and pipeline-related sites.

• Security training and force management · 2003

  Oil Protection Force programme

  A contract for recruiting and training an Iraqi force for the Ministry of Oil. The programme expanded from an initial requirement of 6,500 personnel to approximately 16,000 staff protecting 282 locations, with an aerial-surveillance capability.

• Risk advisory · 2002

  Risk assessment and evaluation

  Erinys South Africa specialized in continuing and ad hoc evaluations of country and project risks, particularly in African markets. The work complemented the group's physical-security and support operations.

• Operational support

  Security communications and logistics support

  Communications and logistical services supporting security operations. For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division, Erinys provided a nationwide radio communications network in addition to security escorts and specialist assessments.

• 2004

  Alleged mistreatment of Iraqi detainee

  The Observer published photographs and allegations that Erinys personnel had restrained and mistreated a 16-year-old Iraqi youth in Kirkuk. Erinys denied the allegations, saying the youth was released unharmed after minutes. An employee pictured in the report was later suspended.

  Source

Read more

• 2003

  Entry into Iraq's oil-security marketStrategy

  Background

  Postwar Iraq created demand for protection of oil infrastructure and support for reconstruction activities.

  Action taken

  Erinys Iraq Ltd was registered and the group accepted a Coalition Provisional Authority contract to recruit and train an Oil Protection Force for the Iraqi Ministry of Oil.

  Aftermath

  The force grew to approximately 16,000 Iraqi personnel guarding 282 locations before being transferred to the Ministry of Oil in December 2004.

  Source

• 2002

  Expansion into African risk assessmentStrategy

  Background

  The group sought to add advisory capability alongside its protective-security activities.

  Action taken

  Erinys formed Erinys South Africa after acquiring Strategic Concepts Pty Ltd's risk-assessment business.

  Aftermath

  Erinys South Africa became the group's specialist entity for country and project risk evaluations, particularly in Africa.

  Source

1. 1Erinys Internationalen.wikipedia.org