The veterans’ minister has accused the Afghanistan Inquiry of “ignoring pretty serious evidence” in order to “fixate” on pressuring him to hand over names of those who told him about alleged special forces murders.
Johnny Mercer repeatedly refused to hand over names of “multiple officers” who told him about allegations of murder and a cover-up during his time as a backbench MP.
The inquiry’s chairman, Sir Charles Haddon-Cave, delayed making a determination over whether Mr Mercer had reasonable grounds to withhold the names until after the General Election – a move designed to avoid public-facing activity during a time of heightened political context.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, the Conservative candidate for Plymouth Moor View said the inquiry team “don’t seem to know the subject they are dealing with or the people they are dealing with”.
In his order compelling Mr Mercer to hand over the names, Sir Charles said his information would be treated “in confidence”.
The order also said failure to comply without reasonable excuse is “a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment and/or a fine.”
In his interview with the newspaper, Mr Mercer said: “The cost of this experience on me is huge.
“Not only does one of my children ask me if I’m going to prison every week before I go back to Westminster… (but I’m also) trying to kick start and run a General Election campaign in a battleground seat from scratch with my party 20 points behind in the polls.
“My face truly is mired in blood and sweat and dust at the moment.”
He continued: “There’s an important concept here that people should be able to approach me as an elected member of parliament and have a reasonable expectation that I will protect their identity and I believe very firmly in that.
“I wouldn’t have been able to reset this country’s relationship with its veterans if people didn’t have confidence in me and trust that I would put their interests above my own.”
He told the newspaper: “I won’t give up any of these names”, adding that it would be “the coward’s way out” to hand them over.
Addressing the judge, Mr Mercer told the Daily Telegraph: “This is the thing the judge doesn’t understand.
“I give their names, they get pursued and in five years’ time they take their own lives.
“I have to live with that for the rest of my life. For me it is a burden they should not have to carry.”
He added: “This is where the inquiry seems to have lost its way by ignoring pretty serious evidence to just fixate on pressuring me. It is unfortunate.
“It just demonstrates to me they don’t seem to know the subject they are dealing with or the people they are dealing with.”
Speaking about the fact his refusal could result in a prison sentence, Mr Mercer told the newspaper: “It’s not ideal. On the personal side it’s not great being on the front of newspapers with everybody telling you ‘You are going to prison’.
“Every week I come up to London and they (his children) are like, ‘Daddy, are you going to prison?’ and I just think it’s so unnecessary.
“It’s pretty brutal. They are worried I will be hoicked off.”
The inquiry will examine whether a special forces unit, known to the probe as UKSF1, had a policy of executing males of “fighting age” who posed no threat in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013.
