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06/02/2007
No charges for former government advisor
Former government advisor Des Smith will not face charges in connection with the cash-for-honours investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service has announced.
Mr Smith, a headteacher who was an advisor to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, which helped find sponsors for the government's city academies, was the first person to be arrested in the investigation.
Mr Smith, who was arrested last April, had always denied any wrongdoing. However, last January, an article in the 'Sunday Times' alleged that Mr Smith had suggested to an undercover reporter that sponsors of Labour's city academies programme would be rewarded with honours.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the CPS said that there was "insufficient evidence" to charge Mr Smith with an offence under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925.
The CPS statement said that Mr Smith's case concerned funding for the city academies programme and did not concern any loans or donations to political parties.
The statement said: "Although it is clear that Mr Smith made some indiscreet comments to an undercover journalist, his conversations did not provide evidence that he was trying to obtain funding for city academies in exchange for honours.
"Police enquiries relating to Mr Smith have been completed and the CPS is therefore in a position to take a decision on his case."
Mr Smith said that he was "relieved" by the CPS' decision.
Scotland Yard said that no further comment would be made, due to the wider continuing police investigation.
The cash-for-honours investigation was sparked last year by complaints from Scottish National Party MP Angus MacNeil and Plaid Cymru parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd, who claimed that peerages were being awarded to those who made large donations or loans to the Labour party. It then emerged that a number of secret loans had been to the party before the 2005 general election and that some of those responsible had later been nominated for peerages.
The investigation was later widened to cover the other main political parties.
A number of people have been questioned in the course of the investigation, including Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Conservative leader Michael Howard.
However, no one has been charged and all those involved deny any wrongdoing.
(KMcA)
Mr Smith, a headteacher who was an advisor to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, which helped find sponsors for the government's city academies, was the first person to be arrested in the investigation.
Mr Smith, who was arrested last April, had always denied any wrongdoing. However, last January, an article in the 'Sunday Times' alleged that Mr Smith had suggested to an undercover reporter that sponsors of Labour's city academies programme would be rewarded with honours.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the CPS said that there was "insufficient evidence" to charge Mr Smith with an offence under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925.
The CPS statement said that Mr Smith's case concerned funding for the city academies programme and did not concern any loans or donations to political parties.
The statement said: "Although it is clear that Mr Smith made some indiscreet comments to an undercover journalist, his conversations did not provide evidence that he was trying to obtain funding for city academies in exchange for honours.
"Police enquiries relating to Mr Smith have been completed and the CPS is therefore in a position to take a decision on his case."
Mr Smith said that he was "relieved" by the CPS' decision.
Scotland Yard said that no further comment would be made, due to the wider continuing police investigation.
The cash-for-honours investigation was sparked last year by complaints from Scottish National Party MP Angus MacNeil and Plaid Cymru parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd, who claimed that peerages were being awarded to those who made large donations or loans to the Labour party. It then emerged that a number of secret loans had been to the party before the 2005 general election and that some of those responsible had later been nominated for peerages.
The investigation was later widened to cover the other main political parties.
A number of people have been questioned in the course of the investigation, including Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Conservative leader Michael Howard.
However, no one has been charged and all those involved deny any wrongdoing.
(KMcA)
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