PM ‘should have disclosed’ Arcuri association
● Johnson escapes criminal inquiry but faces criticism over relationship
Boris Johnson has avoided a criminal investigation over allegations he used his position while London mayor to get favourable treatment for businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri despite the police watchdog finding evidence they may have had an “intimate relationship”.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it “would have been wise” for Mr Johnson to have declared their “close association” as a conflict of interest, and City Hall will now investigate his conduct.
The Prime Minister welcomed the development and criticised the “vexatious claims” that he helped aid and reward the American when she received thousands of pounds of public money and access to foreign trade trips he led as mayor.
But, in reviewing whether the PM should face a misconduct in public office investigation, the IOPC found evidence that officials were influenced in their decision-making because they thought there was a “close relationship” between the pair.
IOPC director general Michael Lockwood said: “We found no evidence to indicate that Mr Johnson influenced the payment of any sponsorship monies to Ms Arcuri, or that he influenced or played an active part in securing her participation in trade missions.
“While there was no evidence that Mr Johnson influenced the payment of sponsorship monies or participation in trade missions, there was evidence to suggest that those officers making decisions about sponsorship monies and attendance on trade missions thought that there was a close relationship between Mr Johnson and Ms Arcuri, and this influenced their decisionmaking.”
The IOPC recommended thatcityhallconsiderswhether Mr Johnson breached the code of conduct for failing to declare his relationship.
“Our review established there was a close association between Mr Johnson and Ms Arcuri and there may have been an intimate relationship,” the watchdog said.
And, under the Nolan Principles of Public Life, “it would have been wise for Mr Johnson to have declared this as a conflict of interest”, a statement added.
The IOPC said its investigation had been hindered by “the fact that Mr Johnson’s GLA email account had been deleted by the GLA”, and so too had the accounts of his appointees.
But there was evidence to suggest the pair were friends from 2012 onwards, though it was not clear whether they were in an intimate or sexual relationship before November 2014, the report said. The 2015 New York trip required the closest scrutiny from the IOPC, with evidence they may have been in an “intimate/sexual relationship” at the time.