British investigators have accused a former human rights lawyer of fraud in relation to war crime claims against UK soldiers during the Iraq conflict, the National Crime Agency said Friday.
British soldiers served alongside other countries’ forces in the US-led invasion that began in 2003 and led to the fall of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
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Ex-lawyer Phil Shiner, 65, is facing fraud charges relating to legal aid claims made in 2007 and information provided to the Solicitors Regulation Authority in 2015, the NCA said in a statement.
He is due to appear in court in central London on Monday, it added.
British troops involved in the conflict faced accusations including rape, torture and mock executions.
A probe into the allegations in 2020 cleared thousands of soldiers and an investigation into the claims closed without a single prosecution, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in October.
A British tribunal struck off Shiner after finding him guilty of misconduct and dishonesty in connection with the allegations in 2017.
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