SAS hero Ben Roberts-Smith denies Afghan’s murder
Ben Roberts-Smith has labelled claims he was party to a battlefield execution in Afghanistan as ‘ridiculous’.
Australia’s most decorated soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, has labelled claims he was party to a battlefield execution while serving with the SAS in Afghanistan to be “completely ridiculous’’.
Channel 9’s 60 Minutes program on Sunday night quoted what it said were two serving SAS members accusing Mr Roberts-Smith of being present when a captured Afghan villager was shot dead in an execution.
The alleged incident was said to have occurred as Australian SAS troops descended on a village in Darwan, Afghanistan, in search of a rogue Afghan National Army sergeant who had murdered three Australian troops. According to the story, the villager was an Australian prisoner at the time.
His hands were allegedly bound behind his back and he was led to a cliff by Mr Roberts-Smith, who then allegedly kicked him over the edge of the cliff, injuring him.
Another soldier then allegedly shot the prisoner, named by 60 Minutes as Ali Jan.
“Their story is simply false, their evidence is completely baseless,” Mr Roberts-Smith told Channel 7 last night.
“The fact of the matter is those two individuals were not with my team in Darwan.’’
The claims had previously been made in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers, both of which are owned by Channel 9.
Mr Roberts-Smith is suing Nine Entertainment Co over the articles, in what has become one of the highest-stakes defamation battles in recent history.
The alleged death of Ali Jan is also reportedly the subject of a criminal investigation by the Australian Federal Police.
Mr Roberts-Smith said he welcomed any investigation into alleged war crimes but had not been contacted by the AFP.
