London police have ended their investigation into the party scandal in Downing Street despite the lockdowns of COVID-19, which did not escape another fine by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
If he is now done with the police aspect of this matter that has been chasing him for months, Boris Johnson is far from being removed from this thorny file. He will soon face the high-risk publication of an internal report and is under parliamentary investigation.
No further police action
Shortly after London police announced the end of the investigation on Thursday, a spokesman for Boris Johnson said there had been an investigation confirmed that it was not taking any new action against him.
Boris Johnson was fined 50 pounds (80 Canadian dollars), according to British media, for his attendance at a surprise party for his 56th birthday in June 2020. His finance minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Carrie also experienced the same fate.
Mr Johnson then apologized without reservation in Parliament, after receiving the fine, and excluding the resignation, in the face of repeated calls from the opposition to do so.
The Conservative leader said he was not did not enter the mind, then or afterthat his participation in the short gathering for his birthday could be a violation of the rules in force.
The suspense has remained since it was learned if he would be punished for his presence at other events targeted by the Scotland Yard investigation.
More than 125 fines
In a statement on Thursday, London police announced that their investigations, now complete, resulted in a total of 126 fines, corresponding to eight different dates, from May 20, 2020 to April 16, 2021.
Mobilizing in particular 12 full-time investigators, the operation cost $ 736,000, Scotland Yard said.
An amount that shocked the association of Bereaved Families for Justice, to whom the amount required to discover violations of the Downing Street rules is at least a horrible insult for those who have lost loved ones due to COVID, which has claimed over 177,000 lives in the UK.
Investigators reviewed 345 documents, 510 photos and video surveillance image and peeled 204 questionnaires in this investigation that opened after successive revelations on the organization of the parties in the circle of power, when the British had to make many sacrifices to fight the pandemic.
Some of those fined received more than one fine, police said in a statement.
The police investigation revealed industry -level law violationsLabor opposition leader Keir Starmer reacted to Sky News, reiterated sure his call for Boris Johnson to resign. The prime minister is cultural manager reigning Downing Street, he denounced, which is now calling for the full publication of an internal investigation.
Mistakes in leadership and judgment
The conclusion of the police investigation is now leaving open for publication, possibly as early as next week according to British media, of senior civil servant Sue Gray’s full report.
A preliminary report, which was completely removed so as not to interfere with the police investigation, however gave a painful initial taste, which was denouncing among other things. mistakes in leadership and judgment.
The publication of this report will allow a new investigation, parliamentary in this instance, to begin. It aims to determine whether Boris Johnson deliberately deceived MPs on this matter, by repeatedly insisting in the House of Commons that all the rules had been followed.
The ministerial code states that a minister who knowingly deceives Parliament must resign.
He himself was accused of violating the rules against COVID for sharing beers and curries with his team in the campaign area in April 2021, Keir Starmer said 10 days ago he would resign if fined.
No rule violations were committed by me or anyone on my team.the Leader of the Opposition reiterated on Thursday, there is no comparison.
Source: Radio-Canada
