Roberts-Smith Denies War Crimes: 'I Followed Rules'

0:00It's April 19th. This is Sydney News Today, powered by AI. Ben Robert Smith, the decorated SAS soldier facing war crimes charges, just dropped his first public statement since getting out on bail from A, Sydney jail last week. After 10 days locked up, he categorically denies all allegations of murdering unarmed Afghan civilians and prisoners during his service. He calls his airport arrest a delivered spectacle by police and slams it as unnecessary hype. The charges stemmed from a five-year pro by the Office of the Special Investigator, set up in 2021 to dig into alleged Australian troop. Miss Conduct in Afghanistan, court docs say prosecutors claim he ordered or carried out killings of five handcuffed men, then staged scenes to make it look legal. Four fellow soldiers admitted to the acts under his orders and got immunity for their testimony. Robert Smith spoke from the Gold Coast on Sunday, pleading for privacy especially for his kids who've already suffered from the media frenzy.

1:00He insists he's always followed his training and rules of engagement and he's proud of his time in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the judge granted bail Friday, citing long trial delays and jail access issues for his legal team. New details from the bail hearing highlight how his lawyers expected different picture to emerge compared to his last 2018 defamation case, where courts ruled he killed unarmed detainees. Several soldier statements could be key, but the defense says full evidence will shift the narrative. As he preps to fight these charges in court, an internal review is underway on the chaotic jail release, where officers block photographers. Robert Smith plans to use this to finally clear his name after a decade of scrutiny.