Times picks up charges story

Three likely to face charges in Labour loans investigation
Rajeev Syal, Greg Hurst and Angus McLeod
From The Times
February 05, 2007

Three people are likely to face criminal charges arising from the 11-month police investigation into claims that Downing Street improperly offered honours in return for donations.

Crown Prosecution Service lawyers have received files from the police indicating that charges should be brought against three people, although the inquiry is continuing.

“I would be very surprised if they are not charged,” a prosecution source told The Times. The same source said that Tony Blair was likely to be interviewed by the police for a third time because he had yet to answer certain questions.

The three whose position is most serious are those who have already been arrested during the inquiry. Lord Levy, the chief Labour fundraiser and Mr Blair’s Middle East envoy, was arrested twice: in July last year in connection with the misuse of honours and last week, over allegations of perverting the course of justice. Ruth Turner, the No 10 director of government relations, was arrested last month when police called at her home at 6.30am and questioned her for four hours, on suspicion of perverting the course of justice as well as the alleged misuse of honours.

Sir Christopher Evans, the founder of Merlin Biosciences, who secretly lent Labour £1 million before the 2005 general election, was arrested last September. He is the only Labour donor to have been held during the investigation.

Full story here...