The billionaire boss of Tesla and SpaceX has weighed in for a second time on the saga surrounding Australia most decorated soldier being charged with war crimes.
Ben Roberts-Smith was arrested at Sydney‘s domestic airport last week after he landed on a flight from Brisbane with his two teenage daughters.
The Victoria Cross recipient was later charged with five counts of war crime – murder over alleged incidents in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.
His arrest was the result of a costly five-year-long investigation conducted by the Australian Federal Police and the Office of the Special Investigator.
Musk last week said news of the situation sounded ‘insane’. He repeated the same phrase on Sunday night when he reposted an X post by political activist Drew Pavlou.
Pavlou had linked to a Daily Mail article which revealed two of the five Afghans that Roberts-Smith is alleged to have murdered have never been identified, despite the $318million bill for the investigation.
According to investigators, the charges are connected to alleged incidents in Uruzgan Province across multiple tours.
Prosecutors allege Roberts‑Smith intentionally caused the death of a person during a April 12, 2009 operation at Kakarak.
Elon Musk has weighed in again on the arrest of Ben Roberts-Smith following a lengthy investigation said to have cost north of $300million
Musk is highly active on X, the platform which he bought for billions
The two-metre-tall former elite soldier was handcuffed and marched through Sydney Airport following his arrest by the AFP
He also allegedly aided, abetted, counselled or procured another person to intentionally cause a death during the same operation.
Further charges are connected to a separate incident on or about September 11, 2012 at Darwan, where he is accused of assisting in the intentional killing of a person.
Authorities also allege Roberts‑Smith acted alongside another individual to intentionally cause a death on or about October 20, 2012 at Syahchow, as well as aiding or procuring a killing at the same location and date.
Among the allegations are that he shot dead one already-captured man and his prosthetic leg was then used as a trophy to drink beer.
He is also accused of kicking a man, whose arms were tied, off a 10metre cliff before ordering another soldier to shoot him.
The allegations have previously been published in newspapers and Roberts-Smith has long maintained his innocence.
He is being held in jail as he awaits a bail hearing on April 17.
