Metropolitan Police officers have been accused of bungling their investigation into illicit gatherings in Downing Street, as some government figures alleged to have broken rules were given questionnaires relating to events they had not attended.
Insiders said there were cases of police letters accusing individuals of attending gatherings at which they could prove they were not present.
The disclosure comes after Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, became the second most senior recipient of one of the Met’s questionnaires, after begging accused of being present at a surprise birthday gathering for Boris Johnson in the Cabinet Room in June 2020. At the time, indoor gatherings were prohibited by Covid regulations imposed by the Government.
Some 50 government figures are being sent formal questionnaires as part of Operation H. They will have seven days to respond to the allegations of illegal behaviour.
One insider said there were “a few cases” of individuals having received questionnaires relating to events they had not attended. A second source, an ally of Mr Johnson, suggested that the apparent errors showed that the police did not have at least some No 10 figures “bang to rights”.
The Prime Minister has already responded to a police questionnaire asking whether he breached Covid rules by attending illegal gatherings during lockdown.
Detectives are now assessing his answers and deciding whether he had a “reasonable excuse” or broke the law and is to be issued with a fine. Last week, The Telegraph disclosed that Scotland Yard was seeking to resolve the trickiest cases first.
A leaked copy of one questionnaire showed that the recipient was invited to confirm their attendance at a specific event, as well as being asked: “What was the purpose of your participation in that gathering?” and “did you interact with, or undertake any activity with, other persons present at the gathering. If yes, please provide details.” The document makes clear that those filling it out are doing so “under caution”.
The latest claims about the Met’s handling of the investigation come after Andrew Keogh, a criminal law barrister, told ITV News that the questionnaire “suggests that this is not a thorough investigation”.
Mr Keogh said the questions posed were “as basic as you can possibly imagine them to be”.
