A British soldier talks to an Iraqi man during a patrol through Iraq's Basra (AFP)

LONDON, June 20 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – The British Ministry of Defense (MoD) is investigating charges that its soldiers mutilated the bodies of Iraqis last month, amid reports of "buying off" families of Iraqis killed by its troops to silence them.

"We are investigating evidence that has been given to us and should the outcome of that require it, we will commence a formal investigation into the incident," Reuters quoted a ministry spokeswoman as saying.

The Sunday Telegraph said an Iraqi judge had ordered that some of the bodies be exhumed for further examination after families of the dead lodged formal complaints.

It said Iraqi doctors who examined the bodies said they had seen mutilated genitals, gouged eyes and severed hands and had called for an independent examination of forensic evidence.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) lodged a complaint with the defense ministry about the abuse of prisoners captured after the battle near the southern Iraqi town of Majar Al-Kabir on May 14.

The British occupation had said that the battle killed 14 supporters of Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr. Iraqi officials put the figure at 20, the daily added.

‘Buying Iraqis Off’

In a related development, the MoD is facing charges of "buying off" families of Iraqi civilians killed by British occupation troops by making them sign waivers in return for compensations, the Independent reported Sunday.

So far 14,000 dollars have been paid in official compensation for incidents including deaths in military custody as well as shootings during demonstrations, the daily said citing figures released by the MoD.

The MoD has also paid "charitable donations" of 24,350 dollars to families up to 13 March this year to cover funeral expenses and help with hardship.

Consequently, the recipient must sign a declaration accepting the "donations" as "full and final settlement".

Both types of payment come with an apology, but no admission of guilt or liability, the paper said.

An Amnesty International official said the "going rate" for a death appeared to be about 1,400 dollars.

But in the highly publicized cases, like that of Baha Mousa, the Basra hotel receptionist kicked to death last September by members of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, the family is offered much more.

"In the Baha Mousa case [a] British military official apologized and gave his father, Col Mousa, $3,000 and said he would make subsequent payments," said the Amnesty official.

"He then offered Col Mousa another $5,000, saying it would be the final payment. But Col Mousa refused to accept this."

The father is expected to travel to Britain early next month to attend a High Court action brought against the MoD, The Independent said.

Phil Shiner, a Birmingham lawyer bringing several cases against the MoD on behalf of Iraqi civilians, said: "There's an element [of buying people off] if you look at the efforts that were made with Col Mousa."

The MoD confirmed that eight prosecutions are pending against British soldiers, five of which involve deaths. One is the case of Mousa.

Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, announced last week that four members of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers would be tried at a court martial.

The case centers on photographs showing Iraqi inmates being forced to perform sexual acts on each other, and a naked prisoner, bound and gagged, suspended in a net from a forklift truck, the paper said.

Amnesty said in May report that British forces in Iraq have shot and killed Iraqi civilians, including an eight-year-old girl, though they faced no apparent threat.

It said many civilian killings went uninvestigated and only a few cases were probed secretly by the Royal Military Police.

The report further said the families of the victims are often misguided and given no or wrong information on how to lodge a compensation claim.

A British judge ruled on May 11 that Iraqi families were legally entitled to seek independent probe into the deaths of relatives reportedly killed by British troops in Iraq and to receive compensations.

"Far from being liberated, the people of Iraq continue to live in fear and insecurity," the Amnesty report concluded.