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British police conclude probe into cash-for-honours scam

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: The 13-month long police investigation into the cash-for-honours scandal, which has deeply damaged Prime Minister's Tony Blair's image, is finally over with Scotland Yard handing over a 216-page dossier to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) which will decide whether or not to press charges in the case.

According to media reports, police are said to have "recommended'' action against two of Mr. Blair's closest aides — his personal friend and Labour Party's chief fundraiser Lord Levy, and Ruth Turner, a senior Downing Street official. They are accused of subverting the course of justice through an alleged "cover-up'' and were arrested. Both have strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Mr. Blair himself was questioned by the police twice over his alleged role in the affair thus becoming the only serving Prime Minister in living memory to be questioned in a criminal case.

Police however insisted that he was interviewed as a witness rather than an accused.

The scandal erupted when the House of Lords appointments commission turned down the nominations of four leading businessmen, including the "curry king'' Sir Ghulam Noon and Chai Patel, owner of a chain upmarket clinics, after it emerged that they had given secret loans to the Labour Party's 2005 general election fund. The allegation is that they were nominated for seats in the Lords as a favour in return for their financial help to the party.

The investigation, prompted by a complaint from a Scottish Nationalist Party MP Angus Mac Neil, focused on alleged breach of the law banning "sale'' of honours, and an alleged cover-up.

It could take months for the CPS to take a decision. The BBC said a decision to charge Ms. Turner or Lord Levy would be "disastrous" for Mr. Blair, particularly if it was announced while he was still in office.

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