Army major cleared 7 times faces new inquiry
Decorated officer to be investigated again over Iraqi teenager’s death 15 years ago
A DECORATED Army major who has faced seven separate inquiries over the death of an Iraqi teenager 15 years ago is now being investigated for an eighth time, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.
Major Robert Campbell said he had been “broken” by the discovery that yet another official inquiry had been launched into his conduct over the incident in May 2003.
The latest inquiry comes just weeks after he received a good conduct medal for his service with the forces and 12 years after he was cleared of manslaughter for the first time.
The case is deeply embarrassing for the Government, with Theresa May, along with other ministers, having previously promised to end the “witch hunts” against Iraq war veterans.
Major Campbell, who is now disabled after he was wounded during active service, said: “This sordid process has broken me. I was assured it was finally over and shortly after that I received a long service and good conduct medal. Last week I received an email telling me they are starting another investigation, which after seven investigations seemed unspeakably cruel and vindictive.
“It has been 15 years and there have been no fewer than seven investigations and inquiries.
“No other army in the world that I know of treats its soldiers as political fodder like this.”
Last night, Johnny Mercer, the Conservative MP and former Army captain who chaired a devastating parliamentary inquiry into the Iraq Historic Alle- gations Team (Ihat), called for the new investigation to be discontinued immediately.
Mr Mercer raised the case with Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary, who said that soldiers should not be on a “constant treadmill” of investigation.
Major Campbell, who serves in the Royal Engineers, was accused, alongside two colleagues, of forcing 19-yearold Said Shabram into a river in Basra.
That version of events has been vehemently denied.
The repeated investigations into Major Campbell have previously been reported by The Daily Telegraph, without naming him. However, exasperated by years of living under suspicion, Major Campbell, who specialises in explosives ordnance disposal, has today decided to be named.
The soldier and his two comrades were first cleared of manslaughter as long ago as 2006 when they were told they would face no further action because “witnesses had colluded and lacked credibility”.
The deaths were previously investigated by Ihat, which was closed down by the Government last year.
The last review of the case, completed in December, by the Service Prosecuting Authority decided no charges should be brought.
But the Iraq Fatality Investigations (IFI) has now informed the Iraq war veterans that it has begun another inquiry into the death of Shabram.
The Government funds the IFI,
which was set up after the lawyer Phil Shiner, subsequently struck off for dishonesty, brought a series of legal actions against the Government.
The IFI – a quasi inquest – investigates suspicious deaths previously looked at by Ihat and passed to it by the MOD.
Major Campbell said: “I will have several more years of investigation ahead of me. I asked the MOD how long it would take and they said the shortest IFI inquiry so far took six months.” Mr Mercer said last night: “The MOD now needs to do exactly what it did with Ihat and shut IFI down immediately and put an end to this torturous process. Given the embarrassment of Ihat, I have been disappointed that the MOD have not worked tirelessly to address this cancer of historical allegations. Let’s grow a backbone, and get it done.” Mr Williamson requested details of the case and added: “I don’t think we are wanting to put any of our Armed Forces through that constant treadmill where they are having inquiry or investigation after investigation.”
An MOD spokesman said it had a legal obligation to ensure the full facts of the alleged incidents were known, adding: “The Iraq Fatality Investigations do not conduct criminal investigations of soldiers. Cases only take place once the prospect of criminal prosecution is eliminated.”