Details of Kelly inquiry announced
The inquiry into the tragic suicide of Iraq arms expert Dr David Kelly will be carried out “urgently”.
The judge heading the investigation into the weeks leading up to Dr Kelly’s death said that the inquiry would be carried out mostly in public.
Lord Hutton was appointed to head an independent inquiry after the Ministry of Defence scientist’s body was discovered on Friday afternoon in woodland near his Oxfordshire home.
The judge stated that the government would “provide me with the fullest co-operation” and added that he expected all authorities and parties to do the same.
The Prime Minister has already announced that he will personally be giving evidence to the inquiry.
Dr Kelly had become embroiled in a row between the government and the BBC over weapons of mass destruction claims published in dossiers before the war in Iraq.
The BBC revealed yesterday that Dr Kelly had been the primary source for a report on the Today programme by journalist Andrew Gilligan, which claimed that the government had “sexed up” the first weapons dossier.
Dr Kelly went to the Ministry of Defence after the row erupted stating that he had been Mr Gilligan’s source.
He was questioned twice by MPs in the days before his death. He admitted meeting with Mr Gilligan but denied that he had made the allegations relating to “sexing up” the dossier.
Several politicians are calling for senior BBC figures to quit, claiming that the integrity of the corporation has been called into question.
Lord Hutton said that the inquiry would take into account the date of Dr Kelly’s funeral and the inquest into his death.
“I make it clear that it will be for me to decide as I think right within my terms of reference the matters which will be the subject of my investigation,” he added.
He said that he aimed to report “as soon as possible”. He is expected to focus on two points – how Dr Kelly’s name was leaked to the media and what exactly he said to Mr Gilligan during their interview.
