From: Darth Simian on
Three former Labour MPs facing expenses fraud allegations have lost
appeals over a ruling that they are not protected by parliamentary
privilege from prosecution.

Elliott Morley, David Chaytor, Jim Devine had argued at the Court of
Appeal that only Parliament could hear their case.

The three all deny charges of false accounting over their expenses.

The charges carry a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment.

The men had appealed against a ruling in June by Mr Justice Saunders
sitting at Southwark Crown Court in central London.

The judge had rejected arguments that they were protected by
parliamentary privilege and should be dealt with by Parliament alone.

The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, sitting with Lord Neuberger and
Sir Anthony May, agreed with the judge's ruling.

Giving the Court of Appeal judgement, Lord Judge said: "The stark
reality is that the defendants are alleged to have taken advantage of
the allowances scheme designed to enable them to perform their
important public duties as Members of Parliament to commit crimes of
dishonesty to which parliamentary immunity or privilege does not, has
never, and, we believe, never would attach."

The three men are all on unconditional bail and face separate criminal
trials as a result of the ruling.

However, they could take their case to the Supreme Court for a further
challenge.

The charges against the men followed a nine-month police investigation
triggered after details of all MPs' expenses claims were leaked to a
national newspaper.

Mr Morley, the former MP for Scunthorpe, Mr Chaytor, formerly MP for
Bury North and ex-Livingston MP Mr Devine were barred from standing at
the general election after the allegations surfaced.
From: Pakistan Meteorological Department on
Darth Simian wrote:

<snip>

What about the ex-Tory Peer and freemason also charged with fiddling eh?


--
"Entire units of the Metropolitan Police and the Flying Squad and the
drug squad were Freemasons. They all, in the end, were sent to prison.
When you are bonded by an oath of mutual defence and loyalty, you may
well find that it is extremely difficult to squeal on your corrupt brethren"

Martin Short on BBC Newsnight 19/03/01
From: Frankie Carbone on

"Darth Simian" <great_sage_equal_of_heaven_(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:63cecea9-9d10-4c05-af6e-

Idiots Darth and their own fault for choosing the wrong political party.

Everyone knows that had they chose join the Tories they would have got a
free pass into the Freemasons therefore gaining full immunity from
prosecution.

You know the score Darth lad my Tory Freemason friend.


From: Frankie Carbone on

"Pakistan Meteorological Department" <PMD(a)SIBU.HQ> wrote in message
news:i2v7hs$dln$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
> Darth Simian wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> What about the ex-Tory Peer and freemason also charged with fiddling eh?

A bit vague PMD mate, we are talking about the perverse Tory party here.

Can you elaborate on the fiddling part please?


From: Pakistan Meteorological Department on
Frankie Carbone wrote:
> "Pakistan Meteorological Department" <PMD(a)SIBU.HQ> wrote in message
> news:i2v7hs$dln$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>
>>Darth Simian wrote:
>>
>><snip>
>>
>>What about the ex-Tory Peer and freemason also charged with fiddling eh?
>
>
> A bit vague PMD mate, we are talking about the perverse Tory party here.
>
> Can you elaborate on the fiddling part please?
>


Atm, expenses for deffo, Francis.


--
"Entire units of the Metropolitan Police and the Flying Squad and the
drug squad were Freemasons. They all, in the end, were sent to prison.
When you are bonded by an oath of mutual defence and loyalty, you may
well find that it is extremely difficult to squeal on your corrupt brethren"

Martin Short on BBC Newsnight 19/03/01