Defence Secretary: PSNI probe into soldier killings will '˜not descend into a witch hunt'
The Defence Secretary gave MPs the assurance following widespread concern about the PSNI investigation into killings linked to the Troubles.
Sir Michael told the Commons Defence Sub-committee the PSNI investigation was not something that ministers could control but the Stormont agreement meant “we are now looking at how we can ensure that this process in Northern Ireland is not random, that it is properly proportionate - in other words that murders by terrorists are fully investigated if there are to be investigations into any deaths at the hands of our service personnel”.
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Hide AdThe Defence Secretary said both the PSNI investigation and Operation Northmoor, an investigation by the Royal Military Police into events in Afghanistan would be kept under control.
He said: “I’m not going to let it [Operation Northmoor] descend into a witch hunt and I am certainly not going to let the Northern Ireland process descend into a witch hunt.”