Contractors Fight Over Money & Deaths

FAIRFAX, Va. (CN) - Paravant, a private security firm, says it's not its fault that its independent contractors killed two Afghan civilians and injured a third. It claims that Raytheon Technical Services, which hired it, "improperly demanded that Paravant indemnify it" for costs of investigating the killings, which were done "by Paravant agents when off duty and not performing under the parties' contract."

Paravant sued Raytheon on Fairfax County Court.

Raytheon hired Paravant as a subcontractor to train the Afghan National Army personnel in Afghanistan under Raytheon's prime contract with the U.S. Army.

Four of Paravant's "independent contractors" were involved in a "widely publicized" incident of May 5, 2009 in which two Afghanis were killed and another was injured, according to the complaint.

"At the time of the incident, the independent contractors were off-duty, away from any work location, and not performing any services specified in the Purchase Order," Paravant says.

After months of investigations by various government organizations, "Raytheon for the first time claimed indemnification of Paravant for over $1 million of costs it claimed arose from the May 5 incident, principally related to attorney's fees and expenses of Raytheon to respond to the governmental inquiries," according to the complaint.

Paravant claims that Raytheon has refused to pay it $2.6 million it owes for Paravant's work on the contract.

Paravant seeks a declaration that it owes no indemnification to Raytheon for the incident and that Raytheon owes it the $2.6 million.

Paravant is represented by David O'Brien with Crowell & Moring of Washington, D.C.

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