Army ‘doctor ignored torture screams’ after being arrested by Lancashire soldiers (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Army ‘doctor ignored torture screams’ after being arrested by Lancashire soldiers

5:00pm Thursday 14th June 2012 in North Lancashire news

AN Army doctor accused of a cover-up over the death of Iraqi detainee Baha Mousa has been branded a “criminal” who ignored the cries of men who were being tortured.

Dr Derek Keilloh is appearing before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service accused of a cover-up over the death of Mr Mousa, who was beaten to death by British soldiers.

The doctor claimed he only spotted dried blood around the nose of the hotel receptionist after he was arrested by soldiers from the 1st Battalion Queen's Lancashire Regiment (1 QLR) in a swoop against insurgents in September 2003.

The tribunal heard from Ahmed Al Matairi, who waived his legal right to anonymity.

Speaking through an interpreter, he described how he and staff from the Basra hotel he co-owned — including hotel receptionist Mr Mousa — were detained and tortured by British soldiers.

Mr Al Matairi said he was taken to see the doctor after he had undergone days of beatings by soldiers who would kick him in the kidneys, legs and in a hernia.

He said he was in a “bad state” and was “between life and death” when he was finally taken to the medical centre to see Dr Keilloh.

He said he was naked from the waist down and still in handcuffs when the doctor examined him.

Mr Al Matairi said the doctor warned the soldiers not to hit him any more or he could die.

He said: “He just had a look at my hernia, leg, kidney and said to them don’t hit me. He is a criminal. He should not be a doctor.”

Mr Al Matairi said the doctor’s medical centre was close to where they were all being tortured.

He added: "He heard our cries and he didn't do anything.

“And he was not far from us for three days and he didn't do anything . . . he should have fulfilled his role as a doctor.”

Mr Mousa, 26, was hooded, hand-cuffed and beaten before he died 36 hours after first being taken to the detention centre at Army HQ in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.

The father-of-two, suffered 93 separate injuries — including fractured ribs and a broken nose, the tribunal has heard.

Dr Keilloh, 37, supervised a failed resuscitation attempt.