MINISTERS and MPs were last night set to face a full-scale criminal investigation by Scotland Yard to see if they broke the law by greedily cashing in on their expenses.
High-level discussions between Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starkey are already taking place.
A panel is being set up by the Yard and the Crown Prosecution Service. It will meet on Monday to produce a framework for deciding which MPs will fall under the police spotlight.
Senior sources say those who will face a criminal investigation include former agriculture minister Elliot Morley and minister Shahid Malik.
Mr Malik was yesterday ordered to quit his justice post by PM Gordon Brown after claims he benefited from subsidised rents on his home.
Mr Morley was suspended by Labour after claiming £16,000 in expenses on a mortgage he had already paid off.
Last night it emerged Labour MP David Chaytor also claimed for a mortgage that had ended — to the tune of £13,000.
'Benefit' ... Malik's £100-a-week home in Dewsbury
Paul Macnamara
He pocketed £1,175 a month from September 2005 to August 2006 — more than a year after the loan was paid off in 2004.
Malik's massage chair ... £700
Mr Chaytor vowed to pay the cash back and said: "There has been an unforgivable error in my accounting procedures for which I apologise unreservedly."
Labour peer Baroness Uddin is also likely to face a police investigation after claiming allowances on a flat said to have been empty for years.
A "scoping inquiry" has already been mounted by the Yard's SCD 5 Economic and Serious Crime Unit into claims against at least seven MPs.
They include Chancellor Alistair Darling, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon and employment minister Tony McNulty.
The purpose of the inquiry, led by Acting Commander Nigel Mawer, is to establish if there are legal grounds to instigate a full criminal inquiry.
A senior Yard source told The Sun: "We are looking at who had their snout in the trough and who had their hand in the till. Over the last few days, suspicions have emerged that some fall into the latter category."
The Sun can today reveal the Yard has received hundreds of complaints from the public about MPs' expenses.
Further backbench MPs are likely to face a criminal investigation as more revelations emerge. One senior Yard officer said: "A trickle has now turned into an avalanche."
David Chaytor ... claimed almost £13k for mortgage already paid
DPP Mr Starkey and Met boss Sir Paul will discuss the potential for further action — but are anxious not to tie up their resources over trivial expenses claims by MPs.
The joint Yard-CPS panel will be led by Acting Assistant Commissioner Janet Williams, head of the Yard's Serious Crime Directorate.
A senior legal source told The Sun: "The purpose of the panel is to establish which MPs meet the criteria for a potentially criminal investigation.
Baroness Uddin ... faces cop investigation
"Once that has been concluded, investigations will then commence into those MPs suspected of criminal offences. They can expect a visit."
Mr Malik became the first government casualty of the furore over exes yesterday — around three hours after declaring he had done nothing wrong.
He quit after it was revealed he claimed £66,827 in three years on his London second home. Mr Malik was paying just £100 a week for his home in Dewsbury, West Yorks. He stepped down amid allegations he broke the ministerial code by failing to declare the subsidised rent as a "benefit".
Elliot Morley ... suspended
Mr Malik also tried to claim £2,600 for a home cinema system — but got less than half that amount — and £700 for a massage chair.
But in an astonishing interview on Sky News yesterday morning, Mr Malik said: "I have absolutely nothing to apologise for."
Leading figures last night backed a police inquiry.
Former anti-sleaze MP Martin Bell said: "I'm looking for prosecutions, resignations and deselections because public anger is very real."
Ex-police chief Ray Mallon said: "There is evidence criminality has occurred."
TWO in three voters want a general election as soon as possible after the exes scandal, a ComRes survey showed.
By MIKE SULLIVAN
and GRAEME WILSON
The Sun
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2432601.ece
No comments:
Post a Comment