More top NZDF officers called to front over 'buried' file

Former Defence Force Chief Tim Keating gives evidence at the Operation Burnham inquiry in Wellington. Photo / Boris Jancic

A Government probe into allegations of a Defence Force "cover-up" about the possibility of civilian deaths in Afghanistan is hauling in more witnesses to explain how a key report ended up locked in a safe for years.

An inquiry into Operation Burnham last week questioned the military's former top brass about shifting NZDF accounts of the NZSAS-led raid in August 2010.

The inquest was spurred by the 2017 book Hit & Run, in which journalists Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson alleged six civilians were killed and 15 others wounded during the operation.

The Defence Force described the claims of possible civilian deaths as "unfounded" until 2014, but it later came to light that a gun-sight malfunction on a US helicopter led to rounds accidentally hitting two buildings during the operation, possibly killing villagers.

The inquiry last week heard a report by coalition forces showing the deaths may have occurred was given to the NZDF in 2011 – but was then locked in a safe in Defence headquarters for three years before ever coming to light.

While several witnesses could not say how the document ended up hidden away and denied it had been "buried", the last-minute discovery of a register prompted the probe to be suddenly halted to call new witnesses and bring others to face more questions.

The inquiry has now announced it will bring in Colonel Jim Blackwell – the former Director of Special Operations who, according to the register, may have had the file locked away.

It will also haul back three other witnesses - one who could not testify in person - to answer more questions about why they could not discover where the file had come from in 2014.

The inquiry last week also heard from former Chief of Defence Tim Keating, who denied there had been a conspiracy, but admitted to sloppy paperwork.

"It wasn't tidy, it was unprofessional, but it wasn't a conspiracy," he said.

The Defence Force told the probe its claims that civilian deaths could not have occurred were based on a misunderstanding by its top SAS office in Afghanistan and that it was not corrected until the discovery of the report in 2014.

The witnesses have been called to appear next month.