Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report 2007-08 - Foreign Affairs Committee Contents


Letter to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Foreign and Commonwealth Office from the Chairman of the Committee

ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE BY KBR MANAGERS IN BRITISH EMBASSY, BAGHDAD

  At its last meeting, the Foreign Affairs Committee considered the attached e-mails from Mr Samer Muscati regarding serious allegations that female staff at the British Embassy in Baghdad were abused by KBR managers. Mr Muscati is a Canadian lawyer who worked in the Embassy for 18 months as a senior consultant on a DFID project.

  In his e-mails Mr Muscati states that the FCO failed to carry out an independent investigation into the allegations. He adds that when KBR carried out its own inquiry those Iraqis who spoke up lost their jobs.

  The Foreign Affairs Committee is very concerned about the abuse allegations. I would be most grateful if you could explain to us the action taken by the FCO when the allegations were first brought to light. In particular the Committee would be grateful to know why the FCO did not carry out its own investigation. It would also like to know whether the Government has any plans to introduce legislation to require contractors in Iraq or Afghanistan to report alleged crimes by or against their personnel.

  I look forward to receiving a response.

7 May 2008





 
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Prepared 8 February 2009