According to a confidential UN report underscoring how the country’s proxy war has become a magnet for hired guns, a team of about 20, led by South African national Steve Lodge, arrived in Libya in late June 2019 and abruptly pulled out a few days later, leaving the North African country aboard two boats to Malta.

UN investigators said in the report they were unable to determine why the team pulled out, but that the explanation provided by their lawyers – that they were providing services related to oil and gas — was not convincing.

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The report said the operation also called for a “targeting cell,” a group responsible for drones, and an attack helicopter, but was unable to determine if those plans went through.

On its website, Lancaster 6 says it works at “reducing violence” and specializes in “search and rescue” operations, among other services including oil field technical services and governance consulting.

A letter from Vince Gordon, the lawyer representing Lodge, Durrant and Perry in the matter, disputed the accusations in the report, quoting Durrant as saying: “allegations about the unlawful activity of Opus and Lancaster 6 in Libya are simply not factual and spread based on a patchwork of half truths.”

The letter said that they had cooperated with the UN investigation and offered to meet the panel several times. “Our clients intend to vigorously defend themselves and their directors and employees against false and misleading allegations.”

In a press release from Fenech’s company, Sovereign Charters Limited, it said that “Although the chartering agreement with the client was for 90 days, the situation in Libya had escalated rapidly and within a few days of their delivery the client decided to use the vessels to evacuate the personnel immediately.”