The Metropolitan Police has consulted the Crown Prosecution Service over whether an investigation should be launched into former Westminster council leader Dame Shirley Porter, after receiving a letter making allegations against her.
The complaint involves an affidavit signed by Dame Shirley during Westminster’s legal battle to recover £42m from her in connection to the 1980s “homes for votes” affair. In the affidavit, Dame Shirley is understood to have sworn that she was worth only £300,000.
Earlier this year, Dame Shirley paid Westminster £12.3m in a final settlement of the 15-year dispute.
In April, Labour MP and former Westminster councillor Peter Bradley wrote to Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir John Stevens about the settlement.
Bradley says that he asked: “How could she have said in an affidavit that she was only worth £300,000, when she has now got her pen out and signed a cheque for £12.3m?”
Bradley also says that he asked the Metropolitian Police to investigate the possibility that Dame Shirley either committed perjury when she signed the affidavit or attempted to pervert the course of justice by lodging funds with other individuals in order to keep it out of the reach of the UK jurisdiction.
The Metropolitan Police said today: “We can confirm that a letter has been received by us.
“We have liaised with the Crown Prosecution Service and the content of the letter remains under consideration.”
A spokeswoman for the CPS said: “The Metropolitan Police have consulted us and we have given them some initial advice.
“It is obviously now a matter for them as to whether they conduct further inquiries or not.
“This is not an incident where we have had a file from the police and they have asked us to look at evidence on the file and give advice on whether there is sufficient evidence for charges.
“They have simply asked for some initial advice and we have given them brief initial advice.”
Dame Shirley paid the £12m to settle the surcharge imposed on her after the “homes for votes” affair in the l980s, when she was found to have approved a policy to sell off council homes to potential Conservative voters to boost the party’s election prospects.
References: EGi News 13/10/04
