An unexpected but welcomed casualty of the News of the World hacking scandal is the resignation and potential prosecution for fraud of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson.
Ironically whilst other police officers were taking bribes supplying information for money there is no evidence yet of any information supplied by the Paul Stephenson. Paul Stephenson's issue is the mundane matter of possibly not declaring the gifting of a £12,000 stay at a luxury spa (Champneys) to recuperate from surgery earlier this year.
The deliberate non-declaration of something required to be declared for a financial advantage is fraud by reason of the Fraud Act 2006 section 3. Previously Paul Stephenson had declared all substantial gifts to the Metropolitan Police Authority and laudibly had them actioned off for charity(see Daily Mail 16th June 2010).
In the case of the Champneys Spa gift there are therfore only two possibilities either Paul Stephenson did not declare the gift in which case there is the serious possibility of an offence under section 3 of the Fraud Act 2006, or Paul Stephenson did declare the Champenys gift in which case the Metropolitan Police Authority better come up with a very good explanation as to why how they allowed such a substantial gift to be accepted by Paul Stephenson given the fact that this would attract suspicion of institutionalising corruption.
The News of the World débâcle is casting a light on beyond the venality of journalism to illuminating a dark corner best described as institutional corruption. Whilst non declaration of matters by senior police officers for their personal financial gain has been regularly and deliberately overlooked by the police the CPS, it is matter of certainty that the merest failure to mention a material matter by someone claiming benefits will result in their criminal prosecution. The discrepancy in outcome is not only shocking, but it also tells of a troubling confidence in the judiciary which corrupt police officers have that emboldens them to behave as they do.
