The Liberal Democrats\’ biggest donor, who was due to face a multimillion-pound fraud trial within weeks, is on the run.
Michael Brown, 42, who gave the Liberal Democrats £2.4million in 2005, was on bail and expected to face trial in September, charged with 18 offences relating to money laundering, theft, perverting the course of justice and other fraud-related offences.
Hmm. Now, there\’s still this matter of whether his donations to the Lib Dems were in fact legal. If they weren\’t, then they\’d have to forfeit them to the Treasury, bankrupting the party.
The Electoral Commission has put its investigation into whether they were or were not legal on ice until the outcome of this criminal case. All of which is really rather fascinating, for if he doesn\’t turn up for trial then that decision could be one ice for ever.
So, anyone else suspect the Rinka solution?
Why delay the criminal case? If the case for the defence suffers because he doesn’t turn up, that’s his problem.
Why do they have to put their investigation on hold? Surely they have enough evidence already to push ahead with charging him if he’s done anything wrong.
http://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com
Those donations were not legal, end of.
“Why delay the criminal case? If the case for the defence suffers because he doesn’t turn up, that’s his problem.”
Because we live under common law and hence don’t like trying people in absentia.
“Those donations were not legal, end of.”
Again, we have a legal system to decide that, rather than relying on the opinions of bloggers…
Because we live under common law and hence don’t like trying people in absentia.
Yes, we want the defendant to have a right to be present in court, to protect all of us from a misuse of power by the state, etc. Fugitives choose not to appear – no one has denied them any rights.
John B, buy yourself a copy of PPERA and make up your own mind, it’s pretty crystal clear that parties cannot take donations from people or companies not resident or trading in the UK.