Police chief in VIP sex scandal could lose his £240k job
tHe police chief who oversaw Scotland Yard’s disastrous ViP child sex abuse inquiry faces a fight to keep his new job following publication today of a damning report into the fiasco.
Steve rodhouse, head of operations at the national crime Agency – the British equivalent of the FBi – is expected to bear the brunt of scathing criticism about Operation Midland.
the Metropolitan Police inquiry destroyed the lives and reputations of a string of high-profile people after the force fell for the far-fetched lies of carl Beech, aka nick.
Sources with knowledge of the report by retired High court judge Sir richard Henriques say Mr rodhouse’s £240,000-a-year job is ‘untenable’ and that he must step down or be removed from his post immediately.
But yesterday Mr rodhouse, who as a Met deputy assistant commissioner headed Operation Midland for 16 months between 2014 and 2016, did not show any obvious signs of pressure barber near as he his paid house a visit in to the a Home erupted Since counties. over the the nick summer, scandal he has declined to answer a series of questions from the Daily Mail about his role in Operation Midland and a separate Met inquiry into a bogus rape allegation against former Home Secretary leon Brittan, which he also headed.
Mr rodhouse’s boss at the ncA, lynne Owens – a former colleague at the Met – has also refused to answer specific questions from this newspaper about his appointment as one of her deputies last year.
Yesterday, she refused to say whether she had read Sir richard’s unredacted review of Operation Midland before he was given the top job last year. nor would she comment on whether Mr rodhouse is suitable to hold the crucial post at the ncA, which fights major and organised crime in the UK, and if she erred in supporting his application for it. of identified in A Sir Operation heavily richard’s 43 redacted major Midland, report, summary blunders which was released the inquiry three was years closed ago without after any arrests or charges. A largely uncensored version is due to be released this morning. it comes after paedophile Beech was jailed for 18 years for his lies about ViP child sex abuse and murder and for other offences in July this year. the Mail revealed yesterday that Scotland Yard was facing a new probe by a police watchdog over its catastrophic mishandling of the ViP paedophile investigation.
last night, Home Secretary Priti Patel wrote to the chief inspector of constabulary, Sir tom Winsor, formally asking him to review the actions of the Metropolitan Police over Operation Midland to follow up on Sir richard’s report.
Miss Patel also asked for the inspection to take into account a separate, as yet unpublished report by the independent Office for Police conduct into the case. Her move will heap pressure on Met commissioner cressida Dick, who oversaw the ViP probe in its early stages.
last night, the ncA said Mr rodhouse’s appointment was approved by theresa May, who was prime minister at the time. A spokesman said: ‘Steve rodhouse was recruited to the ncA on merit through an open and fair competition.
‘As the recommended candidate, Steve rodhouse’s appointment received cabinet Secretary and Prime Ministerial approval. Prior to his appointment, the ncA received confirmation from the Met that there were no findings of misconduct against him.’