Damian Green cleared in Home Office leaks row
- 00:03:24
- ITN
Damian Green cleared in Home Office leaks row
Tory immigration spokesman Damian Green will not be prosecuted over the controversial Home Office leaks inquiry. Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer announced the decision on Mr Green who was arrested in November in connection with a series of embarrassing leaks from the Home Office. Christopher Galley, the civil servant who leaked the documents containing revelations about the Government to Mr Green, will also not face charges. Mr Starmer said: "There is a high threshold before criminal proceedings can properly be brought for misconduct in public office. "In considering whether the conduct of Mr Galley and Mr Green reached that threshold and in particular whether it represented such a serious departure from acceptable standards, and abuse of trust as to constitute a criminal offence, I have considered the extent to which there has been any actual damage arising, or the extent of any potential damage that could have arisen, as a result of their conduct." He continued: "I have also had regard to the freedom of the press to publish information and ideas on matters of public interest. "I have concluded that there is evidence upon which a jury might find that there was damage to the proper functioning of the Home Office. "Such damage should not be underestimated. However, it has to be recognised that some damage to the proper functioning of public institutions is almost inevitable in every case where restricted and/or confidential information is leaked. "In this case, therefore, I have considered whether there is evidence of any additional damage caused by the leaks in question. I have concluded that the information leaked was not secret information or information affecting national security." Mr Green's solicitor Michael Caplan QC said: "I am, of course, delighted with the announcement made by the DPP following our detailed submissions on Mr Green's behalf, both to the director and earlier to Chief Constable Ian Johnston on his review. "Mr Green has always emphatically denied these allegations. The police need now to learn the lessons from their operation. "There was no necessity to arrest Mr Green, he should have been asked to attend the police station voluntarily. "No credible reason has been advanced for the covert tape recording of him from arrest to arrival at the police station, and then failing to reveal this to him and me. "The police themselves have now referred this to the surveillance commissioner. The search of his parliamentary office in the way it took place was highly questionable and no proper regard was given to issues of parliamentary privilege." The CPS decision comes as a highly-critical report by MPs accuses senior civil servants of exaggerating the seriousness of the leaks which led to the six-month police probe into the MP. The Commons Home Affairs Committee said frustration at the string of leaks may have led officials to give Scotland Yard an "exaggerated impression" of the damage they were doing. It also demanded that in future the bar should be set higher for when police are called in to investigate an MP, with detectives notified only when there is an apparent breach of the Official Secrets Act.
ITN | April 16, 2009
