CPS considers charge over second suspicious death

The killing of a second Iraqi civilian at the hands of British troops has been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service and could result in civil murder charges being brought against a soldier.

The killing of a second Iraqi civilian at the hands of British troops has been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service and could result in civil murder charges being brought against a soldier.

Scotland Yard's homicide squad has been sent Army papers about the killing of Hassan Abbad Said, who is believed to have been killed in the Basra area at the hands of the British military last August.

The circumstances of the death is being taken so seriously that the Army Prosecuting Authority (APA) has referred the case to Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General. He regarded it as so important that he immediately asked the CPS to look into it. The Metropolitan Police's serious crime directorate, which deals with murders and other violent deaths, has been asked to investigate the case and gather further evidence.

MPs reacted with dismay yesterday that such a serious incident had not been brought to Parliament's attention. The killing of Mr Said has been kept under wraps by the military, which refused yesterday to reveal details about how he died.

News of his death follows the disclosure of an investigation into the killing of another Iraqi, Baha Mousa, 26, who was allegedly beaten to death by British soldiers in September during "interrogation". Mr Mousa's death is under investigation by the APA, which is independent of the military chain of command.

Adam Price, a Plaid Cymru MP, said he was shocked that the killing of Mr Said had been kept secret. "This is the second case where clearly there seems to be a very serious case to answer. The fact that no one has placed in the public domain the circumstances of his death is a cause of concern. We have absolutely no information about who this man is or how he died," he said.

Sir Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrats' deputy leader, queried whether news of more Iraqi civilian deaths was yet to emerge. He said: "The immediate question in many people's minds will be 'how many similar cases are there?'. But in truth, one is too many."

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that Mr Said's case was being investigated by the civil authorities in the UK. It said the Royal Military Police had looked at the case and that the APA regarded it as sufficiently important to refer it to Lord Goldsmith, the Government's senior law officer. A spokesman confirmed that Lord Goldsmith had now referred the case to the CPS, which said yesterday that the Met was "considering" the case and would be in charge of gathering further evidence.

"Papers have been passed to us by the Attorney General in connection with that matter. We have asked the Met to look at it," a CPS spokesman said. "It's something that the Met police are considering."

Commander Andy Baker, head of the Met's serious crime directorate, is believed to have been given the papers in the past few weeks. A formal investigation has not been launched.