British police are probing whether a key aide to Prime Minister Tony Blair tried to ”shape evidence” in a cash-for-honours investigation clouding his last months in office, a report said on Tuesday.
The Guardian newspaper report came despite efforts to gag the media from reporting the contents of an alleged email thought to be central to the inquiry.
The ”cash-for-honours” investigation centres on allegations that political parties — including Blair’s Labour — offered seats in Britain’s unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords, in return for financial assistance.
Blair — due to stand down this year — has been questioned by police twice and two senior aides, chief fundraiser Lord Michael Levy and Downing Street director of government relations Ruth Turner, have been arrested.
The Guardian reported Monday that detectives were probing what happened at a meeting between Turner and Lord Levy last year — details of which she gave to her lawyers and which have been given to police.
”Police have been investigating whether Ruth Turner … was being asked by Lord Levy to modify the information that might have been of interest to the inquiry,” the newspaper said.
British law puts strict limits on what information can be released during the course of a police investigation in a bid to prevent prejudicing the outcome of any future trial.
But the Guardian said a judge had refused to grant an injunction to stop it from publishing its report, on the basis that it had already started printing on Monday evening.
The Guardian insisted its report would not jeopardise the inquiry.
Since Friday there have been claims in a number of newspapers that Downing Street was behind the leak of the email to try to scupper the damaging 11-month investigation. Blair’s office has denied this.
Turner (36) was arrested in January on suspicion of breaching legislation that outlaws the sale of seats in Britain’s unelected upper chamber of Parliament, the House of Lords, and perverting the course of justice.
That has fuelled speculation that there was an alleged cover-up at the heart of government.
Levy (62) has also been arrested but on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Neither has been charged and both deny the allegations. — AFP
