RALEIGH --
Human rights and faith-based organizations from across North Carolina called on state officials Wednesday to investigate Smithfield-based Aero Contractors for its reputed role in ferrying terrorism suspects seized by the CIA to countries where they could be interrogated and tortured.
Joined by almost two dozen state legislators, the groups also want Gov. Mike Easley to boot Aero from hangar space leased at the state-owned Global TransPark airstrip in Kinston.
Interest in an investigation of Aero Contractors, which provides aircraft rental services, has been building momentum. What was about five groups a few months ago has grown to a coalition, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, of about 75 community, activist and religious groups from across the state.
"North Carolina residents ... don't want to play host to a torture taxi," Azadeh Shahshahani, a Muslim community outreach coordinator with the ACLU, said during a news conference at the legislative building.
So far, Easley and other state officials have rebuffed requests for an investigation of Aero.
Aero has been a tenant with Global TransPark in Kinston since 2002. The company approached the park about having a hangar for a Boeing Business Jet, which would have been too heavy when fully fueled to fly from Smithfield's runways.
"We saw it as a business relationship," said Gene Conti, vice chairman of the Global TransPark Authority, the board that oversees the struggling airstrip and industrial center, which has fallen short of hopes it would rejuvenate the economy of Eastern North Carolina.
The park could sorely use more revenue. A 2005 audit for Global TransPark said it owed the state about $29 million. The audit expressed concerns that the park might declare bankruptcy and end up owing an additional $20.1 million to the Federal Aviation Administration.
But records obtained by The News & Observer show that Aero has made no rental payments from its own coffers to Global TransPark since November 2004. Instead, Aero is whittling through about $60,000 in credit the company received for building a hangar in 2004 to house the Boeing business jet.
The park currently charges Aero $1,075.77 a month to rent about five acres at the park. As of January, the company had used up about $28,000 of its credit, said Traci Myles, controller at Global TransPark.
On Wednesday, N.C. Stop Torture Now presented the names of more than 2,500 people from across the state who are calling for an investigation of Aero. Company officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Responding to a request in January from 22 state legislators, the state Attorney General's Office said in a letter Tuesday that it was handing the case to the FBI -- citing the complexity of the matter.
The state legislature does not have authority to conduct an investigation through public hearings, compelling people to give sworn testimony under subpoenas, said Rep. Earl Jones of Greensboro.
But the 22 legislators would meet next week to discuss a possible bill against torture, said Rep. Paul Luebke of Durham.
