Lib Dem faces probe over pass ‘misuse’

Tuesday 17th March 2015 13:08 EDT
 

London: The Liberal Democrats are facing a probe by parliamentary authorities over the apparent 'misuse' of a Commons pass by a former chief fund raiser of the party. The Serjeant-at-Arms, the official responsible for security at Westminster, suspended a pass which had been given to Ibrahim Taguri, after it was disclosed how he had used it to cajole a potential donor in Parliament. Commons rules state that parliamentary facilities should not be used for “party's political campaigning.”

The move raised the prospect of two simultaneous investigations into the Lib Dems as a Conservative MP wrote to police requesting that officers “urgently investigate” disclosures. The parliamentary investigation, and the prospect of a police inquiry, will be highly embarrassing for the party as it prepares to meet for a final conference ahead of the general election.

Commons officials are understood to be compiling a list of individuals who hold parliamentary passes directly sponsored by political parties. Their names do not appear on any public register, unlike those of Commons and Lords staff members with passes sponsored by the MPs and peers who employ them. The probe could lead to more officials being stripped of their passes.

Sir Alistair Graham, the former chairman of the committee on standards in public life, questioned why the pass had been issued to Taguri and said Parliament should publish a list of all party officials with Commons passes. Taguri has had free access to the estate for up to six years with a pass sponsored by the Lib Dems.

He was chief fundraiser for the party until last summer, when he left to focus on his duties as its parliamentary candidate in Brent Central. He has since stood down from the role, also resigning as Nick Clegg’s spokesman on racial equality, after it was revealed how he had accepted a potentially illegal donation for the Lib Dems.

Taguri has denied any wrongdoing and pledged to clear his name. He said he held the pass as a Lib Dem “staff member” and “candidate”. He said he had not banked the cheque and would have declared it properly. He added that he thought the “cousin” had given his own money and he was “publicly declaring all donations”, even those he was not required to disclose.


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