Iraqi ‘held illegally’ by British troops paid £1.2 million compensation by MoD

MINISTRY of Defence bosses have admitted paying £1.2million in compensation to an Iraqi who claimed he was held illegally.

His compensation award was one of a string of £1 million-plus payouts settled in the last year to people, including servicemen, for injuries, negligence and and medical bungles.

Figures from the MoD show that last year a payment of £6million – the highest ever recorded – was agreed as compensation to serviceman injured in a fall that caused life-changing injuries.

A civilian worker got £4 million for a clinical negligence case and a serviceman was awarded £2.8 million after being struck by a vehicle.

Another member of the forces injured falling from height was awarded £2.5 million and one injured in a traffic accident won £2.2million.

But the huge payouts are in sharp contrast to payments under the official Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) where compensation amounts can be much smaller.

Triple amputee Marine Mark Ormrod was given just £214,000 compensation by the MoD after being blown up in Afghanistan.

The cash-strapped MoD revealed its 10 highest payouts made in the 2019-2020 financial year under Freedom of Information laws.

The case of the Iraqi – compensated for unlawful detention and treatment – could have dragged on for years, but only been settled in last year’s budget.

Controversy has raged over ‘ambulance-chasing’ law firms bringing cases against the government and British troops in Iraq.

Colonel Richard Kemp – former Commander of British forces in Afghanistan – said: “We don’t know the details of this massive compensation pay-out – but it is a vast sum of money for the over-stretched defence budget to bear.

“It also seems to dwarf compensation payments made to many British servicemen and women wounded while fighting for their country and this leads us to question whether the MOD have their priorities right.”

Under the AFCS a soldier will get £27,000 if they lose both their index fingers in battle, £10,000 if they are shot in the chest and £6,000 for low-level post-traumatic stress.

The MoD pays all injured troops through the AFCS regardless of blame – but personnel only win damages f the authorities were negligent.

The most controversial payment was to Lance Bombadier Ben Parkinson, who lost both legs in an Afghanistan blast and suffered 36 other injuries. He was awarded just £152,000 in 2007 – later increased to £540,000 after an outcry.

Last year, £1.8million was paid to a member of the services injured when an aircraft crashed and £1.7million to another who was injured in a car crash.

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