Saddam trial witnesses ordered held:

Wednesday 31 May 2006, 20:20 Makka Time, 17:20 GMT

An order for the arrest of four defence witnesses in the trial of Saddam Hussein has been made.

A US official close to the court said the order was to hold the witnesses to allow an investigation of their allegations of impropriety against the prosecution.

"Four defence witnesses have been ordered held," the official said on Wednesday.

The official said the inquiry would focus on witness allegations that Jaafar al-Musawi, the chief prosecutor, had attended an event celebrating a 1982 assassination attempt on Saddam.

Saddam and seven co-defendants are accused of crimes against humanity for bloody reprisals after the attempt on his life which led to the killings of 148 Shia men and teenagers from the town of Dujail.

Officials at the US-backed Iraqi court were not immediately available for comment.

Reuters

Link here

Saddam witness accuses prosecutor of bribing him:

Speaking from behind a curtain to hide his identity, a defence witness, who said he worked at a U.S. base, accused chief prosecutor Jaafar al-Moussawi of offering him money in 2004 to give false testimony.

Link Here