Davey takes ‘Justice for HJ’ campaign to the Commons

14.3.05

Last week Edward Davey MP tabled a motion condemning the inquiry by the Ministry of Defence Board into the deaths of the six Royal Military Policemen at Al Majar Al-Kabir, as lacking transparency and independence.

The motion, finding support from MPs of all the major parties, criticises the inquiry for lacking in both transparency and independence. It seeks to raise awareness in Parliament and beyond of the circumstances in which Chessington resident, Simon Hamilton-Jewell, and his five Redcap comrades, were killed whilst serving in Iraq.

Commenting, Edward Davey MP said,

“The deaths of Simon Hamilton-Jewell, and the five other brave servicemen who lost their lives at the same time, require more than a token gesture from the Ministry of Defence. They and their families deserve that the circumstances of this tragedy be investigated by a full independent inquiry.

“Questions remain about how and why these servicemen came to be in such a perilous situation, without the means to protect themselves or even to call for help. The Ministry’s conclusion, that different decisions from commanding officers would not necessarily have saved the lives of these six men, is certainly a disputable position.

“Failures on the part of the Ministry of Defence are plain to all but their own Board of Inquiry. Unsurprisingly, when the defendant acts as both judge and jury, the decision is ‘not guilty’.”