FORMER FOREIGN secretary and Labour Party leadership contender David Miliband is expected to be called to give evidence before an inquiry into allegations that the United Kingdom was involved in torture.
The terms of the inquiry have not yet been fully set out by Mr Miliband’s foreign office successor William Hague, but he confirmed yesterday it will be led by a judge.
The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have long called for an investigation into claims made by the Ethiopian-born but Britain-resident Binyam Mohamed that British intelligence agents knew he had been tortured by the Americans.
Meanwhile, British intelligence agency MI5 received another blow yesterday when the coroner inquiring into the July 7th, 2005, terrorist bombings in London insisted its performance must be investigated.
Faced with Conservative and Liberal Democrats calls from the opposition benches, the then Labour government insisted the British government had no involvement in, and no knowledge of, torture.
Mr Mohamed, who is now back in the United Kingdom, alleges he was tortured after his arrest in Pakistan and later in Morocco and Afghanistan, before he was transferred to the American-run Guantánamo Bay prison.
The Metropolitan Police is already investigating the role of a number of British intelligence agents, following allegations they were aware Mr Mohamed was suffering torture when they gave questions to the Americans to put to him in interrogations.
He was flown back to the United Kingdom last year after charges that he was involved in a number of terrorist bomb plots were dropped. He has always insisted that the only evidence against him was obtained through torture.
The decision to hold a judge-led inquiry appears to have surprised the foreign office, though Mr Hague, now that he has decided to go ahead with one, will now be under pressure to hold it in public.
Mr Miliband has repeatedly rejected allegations that he was aware of torture, though he has hinted that he and officials may have been misled by foreign intelligence agencies about the knowledge held by some British agents.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Tony Blair and former home secretary Alan Johnson, who indicated yesterday that he will not seek a place on Labour’s front-bench in opposition, may also be questioned.
Tayab Ali, a London solicitor who represents a number of men alleging torture, told the London Timesthat the inquiry was "a significant and precious opportunity" for the British public to know what had been done in their name.
“It is essential that the inquiry is credible. It should be as open as possible, led by a judge, and those affected should be properly represented. Anything less is likely to mean that the inquiry will fail in providing proper answers and holding those responsible to account,” he said.
The Appeals Court in London recently refused attempts by MI5 and MI6 to keep evidence secret from all bar judges and specially-approved advocates in a compensation case taken by Mr Mohamed and four other men.
The five all deny involvement in terrorism and allege that the security agencies aided and abetted their imprisonment and extraordinary rendition by the US authorities.
All are seeking compensation for abuse and wrongful imprisonment.