Hearing begins in contractor stabbing case

[unhappycamper]

Hearing begins in contractor stabbing case
Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, April 17, 2008

The Article 32 hearing for a contractor in Iraq accused of stabbing another civilian worker began Tuesday with testimony from an investigator and witnesses to the incident, officials said Wednesday.

Alaa “Alex” Mohammad Ali is the first civilian worker to be charged in a military court under a change in the Uniform Code of Military Justice that gives the military jurisdiction over contractors.

Ali faces charges of aggravated assault in the Feb. 23 stabbing of another contractor at a combat outpost near Hit, Iraq. The hearing is being held at the Liberty Court Room on Camp Liberty near Baghdad. Lt. Col. Charles E. Febus is the investigating officer for the hearing, which is akin to a civilian grand jury.

The day of testimony included a Criminal Investigation Command agent and witnesses of the alleged assault.

Febus ruled that the military and civilian witnesses were “not reasonably available” to testify in person due to their remote locations, so testimony was taken via video teleconference, officials said.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=54107