Evidence of meeting #5 for Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was know.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Bob Rae Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
Mr. Malgarai, I want to ask you to again come back to the incident that other people have raised as well. It's the incident that involved shooting someone in the back of head and then rounding up a group of people between the ages of 10 and 90. Where exactly did this incident take place?
4:20 p.m.
Advisor to the Former Commander of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan, As an Individual
It's in an area called Hazraji Baba. This is the area of the cemetery of the king, Mohammed Zahir Shah. He came from there. His forefathers are buried there. It's a very well-known area. This compound was located in Hazraji Baba.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Bob Rae Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
You can remember the place. You have it very clearly in your mind. Did you see the soldier shoot the 17-year-old individual in the back of the head?
4:20 p.m.
Advisor to the Former Commander of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan, As an Individual
When they raided the compound, I wasn't there.
4:20 p.m.
Advisor to the Former Commander of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan, As an Individual
I met those detainees when they brought them to the airfield. I personally translated the interrogation.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Bob Rae Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
To be clear, it is important. This is a very significant allegation. I want you to understand this is a very significant allegation. It's very important for us to understand exactly what you know and what you think, because those are sometimes two different things.
What do you know? Were you in this area when the shooting took place?
4:20 p.m.
Advisor to the Former Commander of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan, As an Individual
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
4:20 p.m.
Advisor to the Former Commander of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan, As an Individual
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Bob Rae Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
You weren't present when you say they tried to cover this up, they rounded everybody up, and then they came back. I want to make sure we understand exactly what you know.
4:20 p.m.
Advisor to the Former Commander of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan, As an Individual
I was allowed to see the intelligence report and I also participated in the interrogation. Two brothers of the person who was killed were also brought in to KAF. When they asked the brother during interrogation...he did not answer. All he said was “You have killed my brother.”
The brothers said that when they shot him in the back of the head...because he was sleeping on top of the roof. He came down on to the stairs. His brother said he was sleeping in the room. He grabbed his brother, he brought him and put his head in his lap. The soldiers were then up top. He then heard the sound of something dropping next to him. It was a gun.
I know for a fact that they tried a DNA test and they also did the fingerprints on it. It was negative. There were no fingerprints. There were no chambers.... There were no bullets in that pistol and not a single shot was fired from it.
4:20 p.m.
Liberal
Bob Rae Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
I just want to emphasize that this is an extremely important allegation you're making, because what you're essentially saying--and I don't want to put words in anybody's mouth--is that first of all someone was shot who should not have been shot, which admittedly sometimes happens in the field of battle; and secondly, you're saying there was an effort to cover up what took place. Is that what you're saying? I want to understand.
4:20 p.m.
Advisor to the Former Commander of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan, As an Individual
When the person who was responsible for the report, his name was Master Corporal Ricco--
4:20 p.m.
Advisor to the Former Commander of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan, As an Individual
Ricco. He was the person who wrote the report on this person. He talked to Warrant Officer Menard and Captain Garon, who was the chain of command, and he told them that after interrogation--because he did all the interrogation. He said, “Listen, this is a murder, and we are trying to cover it up.” He showed me the pictures of that detainee, the young boy who was shot in the head. He was taking pictures from different angles. And he said, “This is a murder and they are trying to cover it up.” That was the word of a military, uniformed officer.
April 14th, 2010 / 4:25 p.m.
Advisor to the Former Commander of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan, As an Individual
Yes.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Thank you, Mr. Rae. Thank you, Mr. Malgarai.
We're going to conclude this at 4:30 and invite our next one to come, so we have about three minutes left.
Mr. Hawn, the order is that we go back to the government side.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Malgarai, how could you continue to work for the Canadian Forces if you had such bad experiences or were so upset at the way the Canadian Forces operate?
4:25 p.m.
Advisor to the Former Commander of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan, As an Individual
Well, sir, I'm a human being and I try to help my people. If I had quit--
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
That's a good answer.
You said you were punished for saying things you shouldn't have said or for asking questions you shouldn't have asked? Did I understand that correctly?
4:25 p.m.
Advisor to the Former Commander of the Joint Task Force Afghanistan, As an Individual
I have raised concerns many times. Yes, I was punished.
