Tri-Service
Troops 'Gagged' Over Abuse Investigation
The Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has been accused of "gagging" British soldiers who wanted to tell MPs how they were hounded by investigators over the Iraq War.
According to The Sunday Times, three serving soldiers who are under investigation by the Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) have been told they can't appear before the Defence Select Committee, on orders from the Defence Secretary.
The Armed Forces members included three soldiers and a senior officer.
They had reportedly planned to tell the Committee that they had been "left to rot" by the Army.
A senior officer had wanted to criticise the tactics used by IHAT detectives but was told he couldn't give evidence.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said:
"It is nonsense to suggest the military have been gagged. We have a long-standing policy that serving personnel do not give evidence to committees in a personal capacity and it would be inappropriate to expect these individuals to do so while legal proceedings are ongoing. MoD Ministers will be appearing in front of the committee."
IHAT is examining serious allegations of abuse in Iraq.
Concerns have been raised over the “industrial scale” of claims lodged with IHAT that are supported by legal aid.
The news comes less than a week after the British Army was accused of betraying "its finest people".
A British serviceman facing prosecution over the death of an Iraqi teenager told the BBC that the Army had abandoned its troops to be hounded for abuse claims.
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