Decorated British Army veteran Bill Shaw MBE won his appeal on Sunday July 4 against a bribery conviction which sent him to jail for two years in a notorious Afghan prison.

The Kabul Anticorruption Appellate court heard evidence stating Bill believed he was paying a release fee on behalf of his company G4S for two impounded vehicles rather than allegedly bribing an Afghan official to return the cars.

Bill’s family, who strongly protested his innocence and led a high profile campaign for his release, is overjoyed the guilty verdict of April 26 has been quashed.

His wife Liz said: “We have been sure of his innocence all along and are truly grateful to the appeal court for its decision. It’s been four months since Bill was arrested and imprisoned; I just want him home and won’t believe this nightmare is over until he’s back with us, his family.”

Bill’s daughter Lisa Luckyn-Malone said: “The support we’ve received from people in the UK and all over the world has been incredible – it has kept the family going, and we’d like to say ‘thank you’. We have been deeply concerned about Dad’s health and safety and hope he is released very soon.”

Bill, aged 52, served 28 years in the Royal Military Police before his employment as commercial contracts manager for global security firm G4S. He received the MBE in 1995 for his distinguished military career, serving in Cyprus, Bosnia and Northern Ireland.

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