BRITAIN:Tony Blair's office has denied leaking information about a potentially explosive e-mail between two members of the British prime minister's inner circle relating to the "cash for honours" investigation.
The Scottish National Party MP who triggered the police inquiry, Angus MacNeil, had directly accused Mr Blair's office, 10 Downing Street, claiming it had "shot itself in the foot" and effectively given the police "more ammunition of an attempted cover-up".
The Daily Telegraphyesterday reported detectives were confident that they had foiled an attempt to "wreck" their investigation by obtaining an injunction against the BBC banning the broadcast of a report about the e-mail on Friday night. The report said the inquiry team feared disclosure of the contents of the e-mail - from Ruth Turner, the director of government relations to Number 10 chief of staff Jonathan Powell, and believed to refer to Mr Blair's fundraiser Lord Levy - would have driven a "coach and horses" through their investigation.
However, Mr Blair's official spokesman yesterday insisted suggestions of Downing Street involvement in any leak were "just plain wrong". The spokesman added that this was not based on his "personal hunch" but because there were "inaccuracies in reports" which he said meant "it can't have come from Number 10." He was speaking after attorney general Lord Goldsmith's second intervention in the case, this time to prevent the Sunrevealing the details of what it called the "bombshell memo" at the heart of the cash for honours inquiry.
The newspaper said the attorney, again acting on behalf of the London Metropolitan Police (the Met), had demanded an assurance it would not print the contents of the e-mail, warning that to do so risked impeding the year-long police inquiry. The paper agreed to this request, yesterday quoting "sources" saying detectives have yet to put its contents to those they still plan to question.
Lord Goldsmith intervened on Friday to obtain the injunction against the BBC when senior police officers sought his assistance after the BBC had requested their guidance about the e-mail. While preventing the BBC broadcasting the planned item on the 10 o'clock news, Lord Goldsmith failed in his attempt to prevent any mention of the gagging order.
Mr Powell is expected to be questioned again by police as their inquiry enters its final stage, preparatory to a report to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which will decide whether any charges should be made.
The CPS yesterday also denied leaking any information about the investigation. It said once the police inquiry was complete it would review the material and make its decisions. These decisions would be announced publicly.
The police inquiry began after it emerged that the Labour Party had raised millions of pounds in secret loans before the last election, and that four donors were subsequently nominated by Mr Blair for peerages, only to have their nominations blocked by the House of Lords Appointments Commission.
It was also reported yesterday that Scotland Yard, headquarters of the Met, is ready to seek further gagging orders as necessary.