Melanie Phillips reports that there may be a fresh inquiry into the mysterious death of UN weapons inspector Dr David Kelly:
the new Attorney-General Dominic Grieve has let it be known that he may order an inquiry to look again at the assumption that Dr Kelly died by his own hand. At the same time, the Justice Secretary Ken Clarke is said to be considering a request to release the medical files relating to the scientist’s death.
This is all very much to be welcomed as potentially shedding light on an intensely controversial event that has grown ever more murky as the years have rolled on.
It was especially puzzling, for example, that, as was revealed earlier this year, Lord Hutton quietly ensured the evidence relating to Dr Kelly’s death was to remain a classified state secret until 2073.
I've written previously about the extraordinary decision
seal the records for 70 years. As Phillips explains, a certain amount of secrecy is to be expected, but the closure of post mortem reports is deeply suspicious:
Given that Dr Kelly had been closely involved in the most sensitive of intelligence work, it would not be surprising if certain evidence given to the inquiry in closed session was to be kept secret in order not to compromise security sources.
But Lord Hutton went much further than this and classified all the medical and scientific records connected with Dr Kelly’s death, the post mortem report and photographs of his body.
This inexplicable secrecy can excite only suspicion that the authorities have something very bad indeed to hide.
Phillips concludes,
Maybe, in the end, the truth will turn out to be more prosaic. But let us hope that Messrs Grieve and Clarke are not deflected from their intention to lay this disturbing episode finally to rest.
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