The Conservatives had been warned ex-Tory MP Mark Menzies’s alleged misuse of occasion funds might have constituted fraud however the whistleblower was advised there was no obligation to report it
Mr Menzies, the MP for Fylde in Lancashire, gave up the Tory whip within the wake of experiences in The Instances that he misused occasion funds. He disputes the allegations.
The allegations took place after Mr Menzies former marketing campaign supervisor, Katie Fieldhouse, spoke to the newspaper.
Mark Menzies pictured in Peru in 2020. Pic: AP
In a new interview with The Instances this night, Ms Fieldhouse, 78, claims she was advised the Conservative Celebration was conscious the allegations had been doubtlessly prison.
She says the Conservative Celebration’s chief of employees “advised me that after they first took over the investigation [from the Whips’ Office] they’d consulted solicitors”.
She added: “He advised me on the cellphone, ‘the solicitor stated it’s fraud however you aren’t duty-bound to report it as a result of it isn’t Conservative Celebration cash’.”
The whistleblower stated she was advised the choice to not inform the police was made as a result of it was donors’ cash and never the occasion’s.
A Conservative spokesperson stated: “The occasion is conducting an investigation into the claims made and has been doing so for a number of months.
“We’ll in fact share any info with the police in the event that they imagine it might be useful to any investigation they resolve to undertake.
“Solutions the occasion has not been critically analyzing this matter are demonstrably false.”
Lancashire Police stated at present it was “reviewing” details about Mr Menzies after Labour requested for an investigation to happen.
In an announcement, the power stated: “We will verify that we’ve now obtained a letter detailing issues round this matter and we’re within the strategy of reviewing the accessible info in additional element.”
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Ruth Davidson on Mark Menzies allegations
The occasion’s chief whip, Simon Hart, is claimed to have been made conscious of the claims in January, when the previous marketing campaign supervisor reported what had occurred.
Sky Information understands there was an investigation ongoing by Conservative Marketing campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) for the reason that allegations had been first raised, however additional info got here to gentle this week and Mr Hart acted instantly.
Talking tonight, Labour’s chair Anneliese Dodds stated: “The Conservative chairman and chief whip should urgently come out of hiding and clarify what they knew and what recommendation they obtained.
“If, as reported, they or Conservative officers had been warned about doubtlessly fraudulent exercise and selected to not go to the police, this is able to be indefensible.”
Mr Menzies, who has served as an MP since Could 2010, is reported to have phoned his 78-year-old former marketing campaign supervisor at 3.15am final December, saying he was locked in a flat by “dangerous individuals” and wanted £5,000 as a matter of “life and loss of life”.
The sum, which rose to £6,500, was ultimately paid by his workplace supervisor from her private checking account and subsequently reimbursed from funds raised from donors in an account named Fylde Westminster Group, the newspaper says.
Talking to Sky Information, Ms Fieldhouse stated: “I’m feeling dreadful as a result of I’m a religious Tory and as I’ve stated to all people else, I reported his actions to the chief whip… it’s now the center of April.
“Come to your individual conclusions [about] what is going on.”
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Requested if she was upset with the best way the grievance was being dealt with, she stated: “Sure.”
Mr Menzies stated on Thursday: “I strongly dispute the allegations put to me. I’ve totally complied with all the principles for declarations. As there’s an investigation ongoing I can’t be commenting additional.”
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