Transparency International UK issues statement on the “Loans for Peerages Investigation.”

TI(UK) welcomes the criminal investigation by Scotland Yard into the "loans for peerages" matter. The question of whether loans or donations were provided by individuals to political parties in return for favours is not something that should be dismissed as sleaze or political embarrassment, or resolved by the resignation of a political figure. If crimes have been committed, then they should be investigated and prosecuted, as they would be if they were committed by an ordinary citizen. Political figures and their associates are not above the law, and white-collar crime is deserving of punishment equal to that which commonly attaches to blue-collar crime.

On 17th March 2006, TI(UK) issued a press statement calling for the criminal authorities to investigate these issues, and to take appropriate action in the light of the facts revealed. See Press Release 17 March 2006.

On 3rd April 2006, TI(UK) sent to Scotland Yard an analysis of the possible crimes that may have been committed on the basis of specified assumed facts, and the questions that might need to be answered in order to determine whether such crimes had been committed. See Analysis. By submitting this analysis, TI(UK) is not alleging that these facts are necessarily correct, or that the possible crimes specified have been committed.

The analysis focuses on crimes relating to the law of bribery, fraud and deception, and considers the possibility that, on the basis of the assumed facts, the following offences may have been committed: bribery, obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception, false accounting, conspiracy to defraud, fraudulent trading, and offences under the Competition Act and the Enterprise Act. It is also possible that other accounting or party funding offences may have been committed. The persons liable for such offences might include not only those directly involved in the acts constituting the offence, but also those who authorised such acts, or wilfully turned a blind eye to, or aided and abetted such acts. The penalties for such offences include a maximum of ten years’ imprisonment.

• Download Loans for Peerages” – Analysis by TI(UK)

  TI_UK_ Loans for Peerages.pdf 88.24 kB

Contact:
Chandrashekhar Krishnan, Executive Director
Phone: 020 7785 6357/6356
Mobile: 07816311070

Neill Stansbury, Project Director
Phone: 01494 775 309
Mobile: 07941014471

Transparency International (TI) has been at the forefront of the anti-corruption movement since it was formed in 1993. TI is a non-profit making, independent, non-governmental organisation, dedicated to increasing government accountability and curbing both international and national corruption. TI (UK) is part of a network of 90 national chapters carrying out the TI mission around the world. TI works in a non-confrontational way with governments, companies, development agencies, NGOs and international organisations to seek a consensus to combat corruption. For more information please see www.transparency.org and www.transparency.org.uk