Mercer Must Disclose Sources in Afghan Inquiry or Risk Jail Time
Mr. Mercer has until April 5 to provide the names of serving officers who told him about allegations of murder by special forces in Afghanistan.
The veterans’ minister has been instructed to reveal the sources who made allegations to him about the conduct of special forces personnel in Afghanistan or could face a potential prison sentence.
Sir Charles Haddon-Cave, the chairman of the Afghanistan Inquiry, has given Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer until April 5 to share the names of “multiple officers” who informed him about allegations of murder and a cover-up.
Mr. Mercer was served with a Section 21 notice on March 13, compelling him to disclose the identities of the sources, said the inquiry on Tuesday.
Failing to comply without a valid excuse would be considered “a criminal offense punishable with imprisonment and/or a fine,” as stated in the order by the chairman.
Sir Charles mentioned that the High Court could enforce the order through contempt of court proceedings, possibly leading to imprisonment.
The minister has until April 3 to provide a written submission if he believes it is unreasonable to disclose the information or if he is unable to comply with the notice. The inquiry assured that the names will be treated in confidence.
The inquiry is investigating whether a special forces unit, referred to as UKSF1, had executed Afghan men who posed no threat between 2010 and 2013.
Mercer Refused to Identify Sources
In February, Mr. Mercer stated that several serving army officers, including a friend he served with in Afghanistan, had approached him with the allegations.
The sources reached out to him after he started a campaign against lawyers whom he believed were filing baseless lawsuits against veterans and the military. They were concerned he would be left isolated if he dismissed all the claims as false.
Mr. Mercer mentioned that one of the discussions about the allegations involved his friend.
Mr. Mercer, an army veteran who served from 2002 to 2014, disclosed that the allegations related to UKSF1.
‘Desperate’ to Disprove the Claims
During the hearing in February, it was revealed that Mr. Mercer was eager for the accusations not to be true because of his personal connections to the unit and the impact on his friends. He stressed the importance of uncovering the truth but refused to disclose the sources.
Mr. Mercer wrote to the Defence Secretary in 2019 expressing concerns about the closure of Operation Northmoor, a £10 million investigation into allegations that special forces had committed unlawful killings in Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan Inquiry will examine Operation Northmoor and another Royal Military Police investigation, known as Operation Cestro.
The inquiry is ongoing.
PA Media and Chris Summers contributed to this report.
