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Police To Investigate Prescott on Corruption Allegations
The police are set to launch an investigation on John Prescott, on claims that he may have broken anti-corruption laws by staying at the Colorado ranch of Philip Anschutz, the billionaire owner of the Millennium Dome.
Scotland Yard insisted that its inquiries are only in the preliminary stages. A spokeswoman for Prescott said however, that detectives have not contacted their camp yet.
The corruption complaint was filed by Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker.
Reports of the police investigation emerged as the parliamentary commissioner for standards Sir Philip Mawer urged Prime Minister Tony Blair to launch an independent investigation on Prescott. Prescott has been recently found guilty of violating ministerial codes by staying at the estate of Anschutz, a super casino bidder, and failing to declare the visit.
However, Sir Philip could only criticize Prescott's behaviour as an MP, not as a minister. The commissioner said that "on the ministerial side, people were left with questions which we were not able to explore".
Blair rejected the calls for an independent investigation for a second time, saying that he found no evidence of impropriety in the visit that Prescott paid to the ranch.
"It's a bit of a game for the media," he said.