Two former Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) soldiers were charged by federal prosecutors in Germany after they attempted to form a mercenary force to intervene in the civil war in Yemen because of messages they were told by a fortune teller, the prosecutor's office announced on Thursday.
The former soldiers, identified as Arend-Adolf G. and Achim A., tried to form a mercenary force consisting of 100 to 150 militants drawn primarily from former members of German special forces.
The two were also pursuing financial interests in their attempts to form the force, expecting each member of the unit to receive a monthly payment of around $46,560.
According to prosecutors, the ex-soldiers planned to receive funding from Saudi Arabia, although the kingdom never responded to their requests.
The prosecutor's office said that the former soldiers had aimed to conquer and "pacify" areas controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi militants with the intention to force the Houthis and the Yemeni government to negotiate.
"These ideas were also supported by messages from a fortune teller, which the accused understood as binding instructions," wrote the prosecutor's office.
The former soldiers were first arrested in October of last year. The two were charged with trying to form a terrorist group.
According to Der Spiegel, the two former soldiers worked for the German Asgaard security company, which has been accused of providing a Somali warlord with over 100 German ex-soldiers.