Honours reporting injunctions lifted
Lord Levy denied any wrongdoing in a statement issued today
Also In The News
|
Directed by Dito Montiel, out March 2nd in cinemas, starring Robert Downey Jr, Shia LaBeouf and Chazz Palminteri, running time 98 minutes. |  |
Tuesday, 06, Mar 2007 08:17
Injunctions restricting what news providers can report about the ongoing cash-for-honours investigation have been lifted.
The BBC and the Sun newspaper were both contacted by lawyers from the attorney general's office requesting that they do not publish stories using new information gained about the probe.
But after Lord Goldsmith last night failed to obtain a court injunction to prevent the Guardian newspaper from running a front-page story on the issue, Scotland Yard has now said it is "no longer tenable or appropriate" to seek any injunctions.
As such all the current restrictions on the media in relation to the investigation have been lifted.
"We are disappointed that the Guardian chose to publish their story today, despite our request for an undertaking not to publish certain details, followed by our decision to inform them we would seek an injunction," a Metropolitan police statement read.
"Although the Guardian knew we remained concerned that publication risked undermining the investigation, they went ahead with printing and distribution of the paper even while the injunction was being sought.
"In view of the Guardian story it is no longer tenable or appropriate for us to seek to maintain any of the existing undertakings or injunction against other media."
The Met did reiterate, however, that it "remains concerned that the reporting of certain aspects of this information could undermine the investigation".
The Guardian story itself claims that police are now investigating whether Labour's chief fundraiser, Lord Levy, "urged one of [prime minister] Tony Blair's most senior aides to shape the evidence she gave to Scotland Yard" in the honours investigation.
Scotland Yard are said to be trying to establish whether the prime minister's director of external relations, Ruth Turner, "was being asked by Lord Levy to modify information that might have been of interest to the inquiry".
Alan Rusbridger, the newspaper's editor, said the report represented a "significant story" which was "checked both with Lord Levy and with the police".
"The story was well-sourced and clearly in the public interest," he said.
"In this country there is a well-established principle that the state cannot exercise prior restraint on newspapers. If the attorney general - who may be a player in this action - is seeking to gag newspapers he must give the precise reason for doing so. In the absence of any specific details we decided to publish."
The BBC has now reported elements of its story which were previously kept out of the public domain.
According to the broadcaster, it has been told that a document exists in which Ms Turner expressed concern that Lord Levy had apparently asked her to present a version of events surrounding the cash-for-honours scandal that she thought to be untrue.
Lord Levy has today issued a strongly-worded statement through his solicitor denying any wrongdoing.
"Lord Levy categorically denies any wrongdoing whatsoever, as he has throughout this lengthy police investigation," Neil O'May of Bindman & Partners said.
"The current round of articles in the media, which are said to be based on leaked material under consideration by the police, are partial, contradictory, confused and inaccurate."
The investigation centres on allegations that peerages have been offered to political donors in return for cash loans used to fund campaigns during the 2005 general election.
Four people have been arrested so far as part of the Met's probe, but no-one has been charged and all those implicated in the affair have strenuously denied any wrongdoing.