An Irish-born British army officer under investigation for allegedly beating up an Iraqi civic leader is to face a second investigation into the running of his regiment.
The investigation will examine the "military environment" of Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collin's 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment as part of a continuing inquiry in the apparent suicide of one of the unit's soldiers in Northern Ireland in 2001, aged 18, a spokesman said.
An inquiry was began into 1 Royal Irish following the death of trooper Paul Cochrane at Drumaad barracks, in 2001.
Mr Collins, praised for an inspirational speech on the eve of the war in Iraq, is already under investigation by the defence ministry after he was accused of punching, kicking and threatening captured Iraqi soldiers.
He is also accused by US soldiers of pistol-whipping an Iraqi civic leader, firing at the ground near Iraqi civilians and unnecessarily shooting the tyres of vehicles.
Collins (43) has denied the allegations and said he is confident of clearing his name.