PM demands Met Police investigates the former officers who leaked Damian Green porn scandal
THERESA May last night heaped pressure on Scotland Yard to investigate two ex-cops who leaked details about porn found on sacked Damian Green’s office computer.
And Boris Johnson accused the officers of a vendetta against the PM’s deputy, saying the scandal was “a bit whiffy”.
Yesterday the Met referred the pair to the Information Commissioner over alleged misuse of confidential data gleaned from a historic investigation.
Porn was found on Mr Green’s parliamentary laptop during a botched raid on his Commons office in 2008. He was fired on Wednesday after admitting he breached the ministerial code by lying about what he knew. He denies downloading or viewing pornography.
She says the minister touched her knee in 2015 and sent a suggestive text after she was pictured wearing a corset in a newspaper. In his resignation statement, he said: “I do not recognise the events she described but I clearly made her feel uncomfortable and for this I apologise.”
Cabinet ministers and opposition MPs yesterday accused the officers of a political witch hunt.
Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson said: “It was a bit whiffy, frankly. It has the slight feeling of a vendetta.
“I don’t quite see why that was brought into the public domain in the way it was. It needs to be investigated further. I’m very sad for Damian. He’s done a great job. Hopefully he’ll come back.”
A pal of Mr Green said “the police got their man after a nine-year vendetta”.
And Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “Some of the actions of a retired police officer don’t sit comfortably in a democracy.
“Theresa May made very clear she was very uncomfortable with what had happened.”
Labour anti-sleaze campaigner Jess Phillips said: “It does strike me that a confidentiality has been breached.”
Speaking in Poland, Mrs May said she shared “the concerns that have been raised across the political spectrum.” She insisted: “I expect that issue to be properly investigated.”
Tory MP Chris Philp said: “What the officers have done is completely wrong. It undermines trust.”
Public’s verdict: Damian who?
DAMIAN Green’s fall from grace was met with bewilderment by the public yesterday, with more than two thirds unaware who he was.
Shoppers quizzed across Britain in a Sun straw poll mistook him for a school caretaker or Star Wars actor when shown his photo.
A total of 134 people out of 200 quizzed in Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and Newcastle were in the dark over the MP’s identity.
English Literature student Becky Lake, 21, asked in Birmingham: “Is he involved in politics? I don’t know who he is. I probably should know though, because I reckon he’s famous.”
Fellow student Cameron Randle, 17, also in Birmingham, said: “I think he’s a businessman, is that it?
“He could be lots of things — a teacher, a politician, any of them jobs. But I couldn’t name him.”
Bookie Jeff Stark, 52, said: “He’s an actor, I think. Is he in the new Star Wars?”
But Trish Williams, 68, named the MP right away.
She said: “I think the police have a lot to answer for. The whole thing is quite sad.”
Former minister Andrew Mitchell added: “These two admitted breaches of the ministerial code are dwarfed by the extraordinary behaviour of the police, which fortunately is now under investigation.”
Lawyers advised the Met that no action could be taken against the cops for misconduct in public office because they retired too long ago.
Instead, an investigation will be mounted into offences under the 1998 Data Protection Act. There are no powers under the act to arrest or jail suspects. But an unlimited fine can be imposed on anyone found in breach of it.
Pals of Brexit Secretary David Davis yesterday insisted he would be staying on despite threatening to quit if friend Mr Green was sacked.
No10 hinted Mr Green should not accept the customary £17,000 pay off handed to departing Cabinet ministers. The PM’s spokesman said: “It is a matter for the former Secretary of State whether or not he chooses to receive that.”
Met chief Cressida Dick said: “We are disappointed to see it appears that former colleagues have put into the public domain, via the media, material that they appear to have had access to as part of a confidential investigation.
"We have been reviewing that in the last couple of weeks. It is vital the public trust us to safeguard personal information.”
Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham confirmed she had had a referral from the Met, adding: “We will be looking at whether individuals acted unlawfully by retaining or disclosing personal data.”