LONDON: Former British PM Boris Johnson has been referred to police by the government’s cabinet office over new allegations he broke lockdown rules during the Covid pandemic. The cabinet office, which is responsible for overseeing the operation of government, said it had made a referral to two regional police forces based on information discovered while preparing submissions for a public inquiry into the pandemic.
Times newspaper reported that ministerial diaries showed visits by friends to Chequers, a rural country mansion which is made available to sitting PM, during the pandemic. “Following an exam of the entries, Mr Johnson’s lawyers wrote to the office and privileges committee explaining that the events were lawful and were not breaches of any Covid regulations,” Johnson’s spokesperson said.
The cabinet office confirmed it had passed information to the police. Johnson has previously been fined by police for attending an event to celebrate his birthday in Downing Street in June 2020, making him the first prime minister found to have broken the law while in office.
Times newspaper reported that ministerial diaries showed visits by friends to Chequers, a rural country mansion which is made available to sitting PM, during the pandemic. “Following an exam of the entries, Mr Johnson’s lawyers wrote to the office and privileges committee explaining that the events were lawful and were not breaches of any Covid regulations,” Johnson’s spokesperson said.
The cabinet office confirmed it had passed information to the police. Johnson has previously been fined by police for attending an event to celebrate his birthday in Downing Street in June 2020, making him the first prime minister found to have broken the law while in office.