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Sir Ian Blair 'broke law'
12.11.07
Met police chief Sir Ian Blair faced fresh calls to quit today after he was personally accused of breaking the law over the Stockwell shooting.
The Tories demanded Home Secretary Jacqui Smith sack the Commissioner over his attempt to block an independent inquiry into the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes.
Shadow attorney general Dominic Grieve has written to Ms Smith to allege that Sir Ian acted in breach of his statutory duty to call in the Independent Police Complaints Commission after police killed the Brazilian at Stockwell Tube station.
In the letter, a copy of which has been obtained by the Evening Standard, Mr Grieve claimed that Sir Ian "placed himself above the law" by breaching both the 2002 Police Reform Act and the 2004 Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations.
The independent investigation into the shooting went ahead only after the Met chief backed down under pressure from the Home Office, the Tories said.
Mr Grieve demanded to know whether Home Office officials had told the IPCC to stay out of the case.
Crucially, Mr Grieve claimed that Sir Ian's intervention led to significant delays in the IPCC inquiry that left the public in the dark about key aspects of the shooting.
It was a full week after the incident before the independent watchdog could appeal for witnesses, during which time the surveillance log of firearms officers was tampered with.
Mr de Menezes was shot dead on 22 July 2005 by officers who believed he was a suicide bomber. Twenty-four hours earlier, Islamic extremists had tried to set off bombs on buses and Tube trains in the capital.
Sir Ian wrote to Home Office permanent secretary Sir John Gieve to tell him he would not allow an independent investigation of the shooting - as required by the law - within a day of the incident.
He instructed his officers not to refer the shooting to the IPCC and to deny it access to the investigation scene.
The Tories point out that although Sir Ian eventually changed his mind, it took five days for the watchdog to formally begin its own probe. Mr Grieve's letter claims that the delays have undermined the Met because they denied the officers involved in the shooting the chance to refute allegations against them.
"In blocking the IPCC investigation, he [Sir Ian] placed himself above the law and in clear breach of his statutory duties and the will of Parliament. The effect has been to discredit the Metropolitan Police on the basis of inferences that may not be true and cannot now be properly resolved," he wrote.
A police spokesman said Sir Ian made clear last week he would "not make the same decision again in similar circumstances". But his decision was made "with the best of motives that the rigorous investigation needed to be fully co-ordinated with the needs of the counter terrorism investigation to track down the suicide bombers".
Reader views (13)
If this allegation can be sustained the Commissioner should be suspended at once pending the outcome of the investigation by I presume the same organisation that examined the principal shooting.
- El-Cid., Hull, East Yorks.,
When is he going to realise that as the Met Chief, he needs to shoulder some responsibility? Thats what happens in exchange for his pay package! Until he leaves, no one is going to trust the police. Moreover everyone resents the fact that our mmoney is paying for mistakes he is responsible for. Money that could be used to improve the state of London.
- N Morgan, South London
So the Home Office are supposed to prosecute their NU Labour police chief? Some chance. The moral high ground for this government was ceded long ago. Maybe they could launch an enquiry..........
- Mark, London, UK
The police is not so good anymore in London and this Ian Blair has a lot to do with it. He attacked in his first week the middle classes - the easy option. He should have been catching terrorists, muggers, burglars and other criminals. And now he is pursuing the Nu Labor mentality of not resigning until he has his last paycheck sorted. He has become a very expensive liability for which the taxpayer will pay again...
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
The only decent thing would be for him to go. This strain will hunt him until his last day.
- Fernando Fragoso, London
Mike. De Menezes was a Londoner. His safety clearly doesn't count does it? Sir Ian Blair is utterly compromised and lacking in credibility. This isn't party politics, it's a basic tenet of public service that you resign when you no longer retain public confidence and credibility. Utterly incredible how corrupt the Left has become under Nu Labor that discredited figures like Blair retain their support. Now that is Party politics! Quite disgusting.
- James, Long Island, New York.
It's important for the 'safety of Londoners' that we shoud be able to trust our Police, Mike, firstly to conduct dangerous operations properly, and secondly to behave ethically when things go wrong.
- David, Richmond, UK
If I was caught speeding and used as my defence that "I wouldn't do the same again in similar circumstances" I wouldn't expect to avoid prosecution and punishment.
Sir Ian Blair shouldn't either. He cannot place himself above the law.
If the government has not got the guts to prosecute him for breaking laws they themselves introduced then there should be ministerial resignations as well - not just Ian Blair's.
- Rogerh, London
If only it was safer in London but in the knowledge that robbers and burglars get away too often nowadays I feel unsafe and just on the basis of his incompetent leadership he should have been fired a long time ago. Now we also know that he does not catch terrorists but innocent bystanders he should really go now!
- Linda, London, N1
Dominic Grieve should persist in his request. It is the Government that is playing politics with this issue by refusing to investigate or punish a clear breach by Sir Ian Blair and a stubborn refusal to accept that anything in their garden might be other than rosy. The safety of Londoners does not require Sir Ian Blair, but a Commissioner who obeys the law and who is willing to properly take responsibility for the corporate failures of his police force. The Home Secretry's judgement and that of mayor Ken Livingstone is woefully lacking.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne, UK
Another Blair breaking the law.
- Dave, Wookey Hole, Somerset
Shadow attorney general Dominic Grieve should stop "playing politics" and think about the safety of Londoners.
- Mike, Bedford England
The police obviously believe that they are beyond the law, the fact that evidence often gets tampered with proves this, how else can this attitude be changed unless their own bosses fear for their jobs?
- Reginald Soak, London
