Fed: Diggers cleared of unlawful killing and harming prisoners

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Fed: Diggers cleared of unlawful killing and harming prisoners

The Australian Defence Force is withholding the report of an inquiry into allegationsagainst Australian soldiers in East Timor.

Labor's defence spokesman CHRIS EVANS says Army chief PETER LEAHY should release the report.

The report clears Australian INTERFET soldiers of unlawfully killing a militiaman andmistreating prisoners in East Timor in 1999.

Yesterday General LEAHY announced the end of the inquiry, saying 13 allegations wereunsubstantiated.

They ranged from unlawful killing to workplace harassment.

However, a Special Air Service soldier has been charged with kicking a corpse and willbe tried by a Defence Force magistrate.

The charges follow an ambush near Suai which left two militia dead, on October 6, 1999.

Another servicemen has been counselled following allegations of sexual harassment inthe workplace at Dili.

AAP RTV dw/sb/wz/rp/psm/

KEYWORD: TIMOR MISCONDUCT (CANBERRA)