Scandal leaves Lalit Modi’s UK buddy Vaz unscathed
A* Writing to Home Office officials in relation to Lalit Modi’s case.
* Writing to the Director General of UK visas and immigration supporting Lalit Modi’s application for a CoT.
* Advising Lalit Modi about the steps he could take to obtain a CoT as a matter of urgency.
* Using his personal connections with Sushma Swaraj to lobby on behalf of Lalit Modi.
Bridgen says in his letter that he is enclosing the two features from the Sunday Times that revealed the allegations against Keith Vaz. He further suggests that the PCS contact the newspaper as they had all of the documentary evidence relating to the matter. Bridgen also draws the PCS’ attention to the “prominence” that the Indian media was giving the issue in light of Vaz’s dealing with Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
The Sunday Times had reported that Vaz invited Krishan, Lalit Modi’s father, to a VIP dinner with now defeated former Labour leader Ed Miliband. Subsequent leaked correspondence suggests that Vaz expected the favour to be returned by the Modis, who were to ensure “the best of Delhi” turnout to fete the man who so dramatically lost the UK’s election, Miliband’s visit to India never actualised.
Bridgen writes in his letter, “Clearly it is essential for transparency and public faith in Parliament for Mr Vaz to have no conflicts of interest in the performance of his role of HASC Chairman.” He adds that “In particular, Mr Vaz’s conduct may have breached the following parts of the Code of Conduct”. He then goes on to list the “General Principles of Conduct” that may have been violated by Vaz, such as “selflessness” (which prohibits decisions made for financial or material benefits personally or for family or friends), “objectivity” (specifying that decisions should be made on merit not for reward), and “honesty” (which requires public office holders to declare any private interests relating to their public duties). The Rules of Conduct may also have been contravened in that Vaz has used his influence and may have brought the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons into disrepute, writes Bridgen.
On 18 June, when Parliament announced the winning candidates for the Select Committee Chairs, and Vaz was re-elected Chairman, sources inside and outside Westminster were tacitly surprised.
Vaz, who participated in protests against The Satanic Verses in 1989, later wrote in the Guardian newspaper, urging Salman Rushdie not to publish the paperback edition of the book because there was no such thing as Andrew Bridgen, who has been seeking an inquiry into Keith Vaz, has been MP for North West Leicestershire since 2010. He has a reputation of solid integrity and was re-elected in his constituency in May by a majority of 113,73 votes and a turnout of 71.40%. Bridgen, who trained as an officer in the Royal Marines, is also successful businessman. A former member of the Regulatory Reform Committee and the Deregulation and the Enterprise Bill Committee, he speaks often in Parliament, particularly about issues and reforms that will improve the lives of his constituents. The national issues he supports are English votes for English laws, the EU referendum and improvements in the Civil Service; he has drawn attention to the impartiality of the BBC, when during the election his rivals enjoyed undue airtime, and the link between mental health and unemployment. In his inimitable style in January this year, Bridgen called for a Code of Conduct for former Prime Ministers. Earlier in June, Bridgen wrote to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he would publish details of each meeting and the overnight stay enjoyed by Tony Blair in UK embassies during the years 2010 and 2014.
— A.F. absolute freedom of speech.
In 1995, the BBC and others reported allegations of ballot rigging, voting irregularities and interfering in local council affairs in Leicester. Vaz dismissed the claims.
Between 1997 and 2001, Vaz allegedly had £500,000 in his bank account that was deemed suspicious. A Telegraph story outlined particulars of a 12-year-old Scotland Yard probe into Vaz’s finances. In 2011, Andrew Bridgen filed a request to PCS Sir John Lyon for a retrospective investigation to discover if Vaz had failed to declare outside interests, but too much time had elapsed for an investigation into the matter.
In 2001, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Elizabeth Filkin, upheld a lack of openness with ministers when making a recommendation for an honour, regarding Vaz’s recommending Sarosh Zaiwalla in 1997 without disclosing that he had received financial benefits from Zaiwalla, as required by the Code of Conduct. According to the Parliamentary records and publications website, “Mr Vaz recommended Mr Zaiwalla for an honour in 1997 without disclosing that he had received financial benefits from Mr Zaiwalla, as required by the Code of Conduct.”
Again in 2001, along with Labour’s Peter Mandelson, Vaz was accused of “making representations” about the applications for the Hinduja brothers’ British passports, whose foundation had apparently paid money into a company run by Vaz’s wife. Mandelson subsequently resigned as Northern Ireland Secretary. It is well known that Vaz has “made representations” on behalf of other Asians. As a result, in 2002, the Commons Standards and Privileges committee concluded Vaz had committed serious breaches of the MPs’ code of conduct, showing contempt for the House of Commons; Elizabeth Filkin, CPS, said, “Mr Vaz failed in his duty of accountability under the Code of Conduct by refusing to submit himself to the scrutiny appropriate to his office as a Member”. He was suspended for a month, the highest sanction.
In 2012, Vaz was subject to scrutiny over the ownership of several expensive properties, two flats in London and a house in Middlesex, plus two houses in Leicester. The basic annual salary for an MP from 1 April 2014 is £67,060. MPs also receive expenses to cover the costs of running an office, employing staff, having somewhere to live in London and in their constituency, and travelling between Parliament and their constituency. Land Registry documents showed that Vaz owned the Leicester properties and the leases on the London flats in his own name. The family home in Middlesex was owned jointly with his wife Maria, a solicitor. The registry showed mortgages on four of the properties, from four different lenders, re-payments of which were considered hard to rationalise from the MP’s salary at the time.
Recently the Guardian newspaper revealed that Vaz’s support for his friend and colleague, the nowdemented Lord Greville Janner, 86 years, muted the investigation into 22 cases of alleged child-abuse by Janner. Alison Saunders, director of Public Prosecutions, has expressed her “deep regret” that Janner will not face trial because of bungled investigations in 1991, 2002 and 2007. The Guardian’s Jay Rayner is still reporting on the case and claims that the Leicestershire police might be investigating ways of challenging the Crown Prosecution Service decision.
Vaz’s resilience against gossip, accusations of scandal and scrutiny is legendary and attributed to his consummate or insidious charm — depending on who you talk to — memory and connections.