Inquiry Module 2 finishes ahead of schedule
17 December 2009: 
Module 2 of the Baha Mousa Public Inquiry has drawn to a close one day ahead of its challenging schedule. It has heard evidence from 133 witnesses, 90 of whom gave oral evidence at the hearings in Finlaison House.
This module looked into the treatment of Baha Mousa and those detained with him as a result of Operation Salerno. Giving evidence to the Inquiry, were Daoud Mousa (father of Baha Mousa) and the surviving detainees, whose evidence provided an insight into the events that took place in the temporary detention facility (TDF) during their detention. Also giving evidence were the soldiers responsible for the arrest, delivery and subsequent guarding of the detainees at the TDF, as well as those involved in tactical questioning and medical matters.
At the end of Wednesday’s proceedings the Chairman said:
“Thank you to everybody here, particularly Counsel to the Inquiry, who have done a huge amount of work and, also, if you will allow me to say so, from all of the rest of the legal teams here, who have co-operated magnificently in seeing that we have reached our target and are ahead of it."
Yesterday, the Solicitor to the Inquiry presented a statement to Core Participants outlining the current position. Statements from some potential Module 2 witnesses are yet to be received and work will continue in this area.
The Inquiry has risen for its Christmas break and will sit again on 18 January 2010 for the start of Module 3. This module will be looking into training and the chain of command. It will hear evidence from senior ranks of the army (including Col Jorge Mendonca, who was the commanding officer of 1QLR) and others, able to give an account of what training and guidance were given and what orders were issued to those in 1 QLR involved in the detention. Questioning will follow the chain of command upwards in relation to these matters.