UK general gets accused of murders cover-up

(MENAFN) General Gwyn Jenkins has been appointed as the new First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff by the British government, with the decision officially endorsed by King Charles III on Thursday. His promotion comes despite unresolved allegations linking him to a potential cover-up of war crimes in Afghanistan and efforts to hinder witness relocation.

Jenkins replaces Admiral Ben Key, who resigned last week amid an ongoing investigation into alleged misconduct, reportedly involving an inappropriate relationship with a junior colleague.

The controversy surrounding Jenkins dates back to a BBC investigation two years ago, which claimed he failed to relay evidence of SAS troops executing handcuffed Afghan detainees to military police while serving as Vice-Chief of the Defense Staff. Jenkins did not publicly respond to the allegations, and the Ministry of Defense declined to comment, citing an ongoing statutory inquiry.

In April 2024, Jenkins was briefly appointed as the UK’s National Security Adviser by then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. However, the appointment was rescinded by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s incoming administration. While Starmer did not comment directly on Jenkins, he stressed the importance of transparent appointment procedures. Media reports suggested Jenkins' involvement in the Afghanistan inquiry played a role in the reversal.

Further criticism emerged this month when BBC Panorama reported that Jenkins played a role in denying relocation requests from hundreds of Afghan commandos who had worked closely with British forces. Many of these individuals were considered potential witnesses in the ongoing public inquiry into the UK’s military conduct during the war in Afghanistan.

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