The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has begun an investigation into the running of a Royal Irish Regiment while under the leadership of Belfast officer Col Tim Collins, writes Dan Keenan.
A British army spokesman confirmed to The Irish Times last night it was looking into "the military environment at 1 Royal Irish".
Col Collins, praised by Prince Charles for his eve-of-battle address in Iraq , is already being investigated for alleged misdemeanours while in the Gulf. The Ministry says the two investigations are not linked, while the colonel denies all cases of wrongdoing and says he is confident his reputation will be upheld.
The second inquiry centres on the death of Paul Cochrane (18) a soldier at Drumadd barracks in Co Armagh in 2001. He died of a gunshot wound to the head and there are reports of alleged bullying at the barracks at the time. An inquest into the death has yet to be held, the army said last night.
The Cochrane family say the ministry is secretive and they do not have confidence in this second investigation.
The dead soldier's parents, Lynn and William Cochrane spoke yesterday of Col Collins's pledges to them to get to the bottom of their son's death and of their subsequent difficulties in finding out what happened to their son. It is claimed they have not seen the barracks room where he died.
Mr William Cochrane said the MoD operated a "culture of secrecy" and it was "a society within a society". The dead man's mother said she just wanted the truth after two years of mystery.
The Ulster Unionist MP Mr Jeffrey Donaldson suggested yesterday there was a coincidence between the two investigations at a time when there are questions about the future of the Royal Irish Regiment.
He told UTV last night: "What is the motivation behind the MoD in pursuing these inquiries at this time. I believe that the tragic death of Paul Cochrane should be properly investigated. But why do they keep putting Col Tim Collins up in the spotlight? And why the focus on the Royal Irish Regiment at this time? I'm concerned that this has more to do with the future of the regiment and with discrediting a man who is a hero than it has to do with anything else."
During the Iraqi conflict, soldiers under Col Collins were accused of mistreating a man after weapons were found at his home.
The man, a Baath Party member, claimed he was beaten and put against a wall as if he were to be executed.