Prosecutors to rule on MPs' expenses: report
From AFP European Edition | 2009-11-19 08:10:33
<div><p>Six MPs could face fraud charges in coming months over a long-running expenses scandal that has rocked parliament, according to a newspaper.</p><p>Police will soon pass files to the Crown Prosecution Service on three MPs and three peers, over alleged abuse of the expenses system after an investigation, The Daily Telegraph said.</p><p>Keir Starmer, the country?s top prosecutor, is then expected to make a decision on whether to lay criminal charges as early as January, just months before the next general election due by June, the newspaper said on its website.</p><p>"We have heard that things are about to come to a head," an unnamed parliamentary source told the newspaper.</p><p>Scotland Yard would not confirm the report, describing it as "speculation."</p><p>"We decided to launch an investigation and we are not prepared to discuss the names and political allegiance of those under consideration," a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said.</p><p>The report follows weeks of leaks in The Daily Telegraph showing MPs had claimed for everything from a duck house to cleaning a moat at a country home, sparking public outrage as the country struggled through a recession.</p><p>Three Labour MPs and three peers have been at the centre of the five-month long inquiry, according to the newspaper.</p><p>The most serious abuses allegedly involved claiming thousands of pounds in repayments from the public purse for "phantom mortgages" that did not exist.</p><p>The scandal has hit all main political parties hard, sparked a wave of resignations and forced Prime Minister Gordon Brown to announce an overhaul of the system.</p><p>The issue is set to reemerge at the general election which Labour, in power since 1997, is tipped to lose to the Conservatives.</p><p>One of the highest profile victims of the scandal was House of Commons speaker Michael Martin, who was forced out following criticism of his handling of the expenses issue.</p><p>Separately, a total of 27 MPs are being investigated by tax officials amid revelations over their expense claims, officials confirmed last month.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=63736416&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>
Copyright 2009 <a href="http://www.afp.com/english/links/?pid=copyright">AFP European Edition</a></div></div>
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