MPA chief backtracks over cash-for-honours comments
The chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) has backtracked from comments made in this morning’s Sunday Times newspaper about the cash-for-honours probe.
Len Duvall issued a statement downplaying comments suggesting that the Metropolitan police’s inquiry team had gathered sufficient evidence to make a prosecution likely.
He had been quoted as saying: “They are not after a political scalp. People like Blunkett, Puttnam and Jowell ought to be very careful about rushing in to make any statements at this moment. At an appropriate time, stuff will go into the public domain that will justify the police’s approach.”
But this afternoon he sought to downplay the significance of his comments, insisting he had not meant to infer anything about the progress of the Met’s investigation.
“In the Sunday Times article today on the cash-for-honours inquiry some of my comments could be misconstrued as referring to the strength or nature of the evidence. This is not so,” he said in the statement.
“My comments were primarily focussed around my concerns for the way in which some people appeared to be questioning the behaviour, conduct and motives of police officers involved in this inquiry.
“What I did say was that it is wrong for anyone, no matter who they are, to attempt to interfere with or try and influence the way in which police carry out their investigations.
“Those people who made what I consider to be inadvisable remarks around recent events connected with this inquiry should reflect on the appropriateness of what they have said.”
This weekend’s developments follow the arrest at 06:30 GMT of Ruth Turner, a senior Downing Street aide. The Met’s actions has attracted criticism from senior cabinet ministers, including culture secretary Tessa Jowell who told the Any Questions programme that she was “slightly bewildered” by Ms Turney’s arrest.
