United States
United Kingdom
Summary:
- A police bodyguard for PM Rishi Sunak allegedly placed bets on the date of the UK election.
- The Gambling Commission informed the Metropolitan Police of an investigation into possible offenses regarding the election date.
- The force arrested the constable in the Royalty and Specialist Protection Command on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The Metropolitan Police force in the UK has placed one of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s police bodyguards under arrest for allegedly wagering on the possible date of Britain’s General Election before the official announcement was made.
The UKGC Investigating Offences Regarding the Date of the Election
According to police authorities on Wednesday, a constable in the Royalty and Specialist Protection Command has been arrested following information received from the Gambling Commission on June 14.
The constable from the Met’s royalty and specialist protection command, who is also Rishi Sunak’s police bodyguard, is suspected of misconduct in public office.
The arrest followed the regulator’s confirmed investigation into “the possibility of offenses concerning the date of the election”.
According to a statement from the Met, the matter was
Immediately referred to officers in the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards, who opened an investigation, and the officer was also removed from operational duties
The Officer Allegedly Used Inside Information to Bet
On May 22, PM Sunak announced July 4 as the official date when the Parliament elections will be held in Britain.
The announcement of the date, which was a carefully kept secret, took a lot of people by people, including many in the PM’s governing Conservative Party.
This is because many of them had expected the election to be held sometime in the fall.
While betting is allowed in the UK, where bookmakers offer odds on everything ranging from sports to elections or the next winner of a Nobel prize, betting using inside information is considered cheating and treated as a criminal offense.
The Bodyguard Was Released on Bail
The arrested police officer, who has remained unnamed as he has not been put under charge, has been released on bail and is pending further inquiries.
He has also been removed from his duties for the duration of the official investigation into his conduct.
The matter has also been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Commenting on the news, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper said PM Sunak should
Call a Cabinet Office inquiry into what is shaping up to be yet another scandal at the heart of Government.
Similarly, last week, the PM’s aide, Craig Williams, who is also looking to get reelected to Parliament, admitted he was under investigation by the same Gambling Commission for allegedly placing a 100 pound ($128) bet on a July election before the official date being announced.
