Saturday, December 06, 2008
Brown Leaked Sensitive Defence Documents
Iain Dale 9:53 PM
NOTW: Green & Galley Won't Face Charges
Iain Dale 9:41 PM
TORY MP Damian Green and his Home Office mole will NOT be charged in the leak scandal, the News of the World can reveal. Prosecutors say papers seized from Mr Green’s Commons office cannot be used as evidence in a trial. They add that cops FAILED to conduct a proper search in Westminster.
The conclusions, in a secret early review by the Crown Prosecution Service, coincide with the initial findings of an independent police probe. That investigation is already concluding the case is “not prosecutable”, and the decision to arrest the Shadow Immigration Minister was “over the top”. One source said: “This was a sledgehammer to crack a nut by Scotland Yard—totally disproportionate.”
The findings are a humiliation for Met Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, head of the counter-terrorism unit. The view is growing that the original arrest decision, made by a chief inspector, was simply rubber-stamped and the implications not properly considered by his ultimate boss, Mr Quick. Acting Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson told Quick: “You are completely f**king me over, you know. I will get the blame when it all goes wrong.”
Cops had told the Commons’ Serjeant at Arms, Jill Pay, they wanted to search an MP’s office but failed to tell her WHO the MP was.
A top CPS source said: “Police must state clearly who they are investigating and why they wish to carry out a search. This did not happen until after they had obtained permission. “Therefore the evidence would be subject to a sustained legal challenge.” Police found that mole Christopher Galley only passed on documents relating to immigration—not terrorism. He faces Home Office disciplinary proceedings and is expected to be dismissed.
UPDATE: Having said all that, before Messers Green & Galley unpop the champagne corks, they had better read the Sunday Telegraph, who report almost the direct opposite. They reckon the Police are motoring ahead with the inquiry and have no intention of backing down.
Glad that's all cleared up then.
Sunday, 7 December 2008
It's hardly surprising the Prime Minister has looked a bit uncomfortable over the Damian Green affair. Michael Gove has written an article showing how Brown leaked him documents about the future of Rosyth Dockyard in the 1980s, when he was working for Scottish Television. That, of course, did involve national security. Luckily for him (and unluckily for the nation), Maggie didn't feel the need to set the Rozzers on him.
Ian Kirby is reporting in tomorrow's News of the World neither Damian Green nor Christopher Galley will face charges over the leaked documents from the Home Office. He writes...
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