Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Kelly family demand answer from MoD

James Lyons
Sunday 24 August 2003 00:00 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Dr David Kelly's family demanded to know who was briefing against him in the days after his death, it emerged last night.

A solicitor representing his widow Janice asked who had authorised the infamous suggestion that the scientist was a "Walter Mitty". The Prime Minister's official spokesman Tom Kelly was eventually forced to admit he used the term .

But solicitor Peter Jacobsen suggested MoD officials were responsible and demanded answers in a letter to Government lawyers. "I am aware of press reports quoting unnamed MoD spokesmen," Mr Jacobsen wrote. "For example, may I refer you to the leading article on page 1 of The Independent of Monday 4th August where, inter alia, it is asserted that, according to MoD sources, Dr Kelly was being investigated for his contacts with journalists long before the current difficulties; a copy is attached.

"If information of this nature is being disseminated ...I should like to know on whose authority this is being done. On the other hand the Government for every good reason is calling for restraint during the course of the Inquiry...on the other hand various arms of Government appear at least through the press to be following a different course.

"If the report is true, may I please have details of the investigation?"

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in