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23 Dec 2009

Police hand over more files on Westminster expenses

guardian.co.uk News Wed 23 Dec 2009 11:48 GMT

Two more sets of evidence against politicians given to Crown Prosecution Service

Scotland Yard handed two more files of evidence against politicians suspected of abusing their expenses to prosecutors today.

Officials at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are now examining six cases of alleged wrongdoing by MPs and peers.

A Metropolitan police spokesman said a "small number" of cases remained under investigation by detectives.

He said: "The Metropolitan police service has today delivered two further files of evidence relating to parliamentary expenses to the Crown Prosecution Service.

"These files relate to two people and will now be subject to CPS consideration on whether there should be any charges.

"The CPS is now considering files relating to a total of six people from both Houses. A small number of cases remain under investigation."

None of the parliamentarians concerned have been named by the police, although recent media reporting has concentrated on six individuals.

They include Labour MPs Elliot Morley and David Chaytor, who each claimed thousands of pounds in second home allowances for so-called "phantom" mortgages which had already been paid off.

A third Labour MP, Jim Devine, has reportedly been under investigation over invoices he submitted for electrical work worth £2,157 from a company with an allegedly fake address and an invalid VAT number.

Labour peer Lady Uddin is facing allegations that she claimed £100,000 in allowances by registering as her main home a property in Maidstone, Kent, that was reportedly barely occupied.

Another Labour peer, Lord Clarke of Hampstead, a former party chairman, has admitted his "terrible error" in claiming up to £18,000 a year for overnight subsistence when he often stayed with friends in London or returned home to St Albans, Herts.

Lord Hanningfield, a Conservative peer who is also leader of Essex county council, was reported to be under investigation over whether he was returning to his home while claiming overnight allowances totalling £100,000 over a seven-year period.

Keir Starmer, the director of public prosecutions, must now decide whether there is a realistic chance of securing convictions and what charges, if any, he should bring.

Potentially, the parliamentarians could be prosecuted for fraud or false accounting, with maximum penalties of 10 or seven years.

Scotland Yard launched a number of investigations last June into potential criminal wrongdoing after details of MPs' expenses and allowances were made public by the Daily Telegraph.

A CPS spokesman said: "The CPS received two additional files of evidence from the Metropolitan police in relation to parliamentary expenses.

"Any decisions on whether or not there should be any charges in relation to these files and those already received will be made as quickly as is reasonably practical.

"It would be inappropriate to comment any further at this stage."


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