Judge tells US army to speed up prisoner abuse probe

A MILITARY judge hearing pre-trial evidence in the alleged abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison pressed the US government yesterday to speed up its investigations.

He also warned that delays could derail the case against at least one of the accused soldiers.

At a hearing at a US military base in Germany, Judge Colonel James Pohl issued a September 10 target for the government to complete three investigative reports so they can be used as evidence in hearings of soldiers charged with the abuse.