England: conflict of interest, Sunak under investigation
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is being investigated by Parliament's "Standards Commissioner" on suspicion of a conflict of interest. The investigation - which was announced on Monday - had already started a few days ago. The body in question is responsible for compliance with the code of conduct of deputies, of which Sunak joined in 2015. The story - without any criminal implication - concerns a child care facility, the subject of projects promoted by the Executive conservative and in which Sunak's wife - Akhsata Murty, a very rich businesswoman of Indian origins - appears to have had interests that the prime minister would not have declared at the time.
Sunak has always denied any violations in the declarations of interest he has submitted over the years and which must include any link "that could influence actions, statements and votes". The issue was raised by the opposition. Downing Street said it expect a verdict in favor of the premier. Hundreds of officers are to be sacked, suspended or placed in limited duties in the largest internal purge launched by London's Metropolitan Police in 50 years.
This was announced to the BBC by Sir Mark Rowley, the commander of Scotland Yard, after the scandals concerning the uniformed personnel of England's most important force and the recent report in which it was defined as "institutionally racist," complete with indications to change quickly so as not to risk ending up dismantled. Speaking on the microphones of the English public broadcaster, the 'commissioner' announced the decision to divert dozens of veteran agents from the fight against terrorism and organized crime in the internal disciplinary section to "remove cancer from the body".
Not only that, it was decided to do additional criminal background checks on recruits and possibly block their path within the police force. From the vast disciplinary investigation launched within Scotland Yard, 161 officers on duty have already emerged who had committed crimes involving drugs and violence. Meanwhile, a survey conducted by YouGov has quantified the serious loss of trust of Londoners in the police force: 42% of those interviewed said they "totally distrust" the Met Police, while among women it reaches almost 50%.
