• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Coroner to decide whether to hold full inquest into Kelly`s death

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Jan 30, IRNA - Local coroner Nicholas Gardiner is to decide 
within the next month or so whether to hold a full inquest into the 
death of Iraq weapons expert David Kelly. 
The Oxfordshire coroner said Thursday that he was planning to 
hold a public hearing in March near to Kelly`s home, some 100 kms west
of London, at which any "interested party" could make representations 
to him. 
The inquest, which was adjourned for the inquiry led by Lord 
Hutton, will be reopened, if he is persuaded that there are 
exceptional reasons to do so, he said. 
According to the Oxford Mail Friday, Gardiner said he was ready 
to examine statements from witnesses who withheld their evidence from 
the Hutton Inquiry, whose findings were published on Thursday. 
He said he would ask the local Thames Valley Police to hand over 
the missing material before considering Hutton`s report, which 
concluded that Kelly killed himself and exonerated the government of 
any wrong-doings. 
The police interviewed some 500 people and took 300 witness 
statements during their investigation but passed on fewer than 70 
they deemed relevant to the inquiry. A number of witnesses were said 
to have taken advantage of an option not to pass on statements. 
Although Hutton said that he was "satisfied" that Kelly committed 
suicide, the judgment on not binding on the coroner. Gardiner is 
understood to have received several letters from the public who do 
not accept he killed himself. 
One of the withheld statements is reported to be from Mai 
Pedersen, a senior master sergeant in the US Air Force, who 
introduced Kelly to Baha`ism and is said to remain unconvinced that 
he could have committed suicide. 
On Tuesday, three special medical professionals expressed doubts 
on whether former Iraq arms inspector David Kelly committed suicide 
from the evidence presented to the inquiry that he bled to death from 
cuts to his wrist. 
Unlike the powers given to Hutton, a coroner has the power to 
compel witnesses to give evidence to an official inquest. 
According to the Times newspaper Friday, the widow of the arms 
expert is also preparing to sue the Ministry of Defence over her 
husband`s death. 
The Defence Ministry, which employed Kelly as an adviser, was 
criticised in Hutton`s report for failing to warn him that his name 
would be made public as the source for a BBC report last May that 
claimed the government exaggerated Iraq`s arms threat. 
Janice Kelly`s lawyers were said to be considering whether to sue 
for compensation for the loss of her husband, his salary as a 
government scientist and possible future earnings. 
HC/214 
End