The Metropolitan Police Service has concluded an investigation into allegations of offences under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. The Met’s Special Enquiry Team (SET) launched an investigation after an assessment of a letter passed to police on 5 September 2021, following media reporting.
The assessment process included contacting those believed to hold relevant information. This process included liaison with The Prince’s Foundation about the findings of an independent investigation into fundraising practices.
The Foundation provided a number of relevant documents which were reviewed alongside existing information. The assessment determined that an investigation should take place, and this began on 16 February 2022.
As part of the investigation the SET obtained court production orders, spoke with a number of witnesses and reviewed in excess of 200 documents.
Officers also contacted a media organisation to request specific documents which were referenced in published articles so that the Met could consider them as part of the assessment.
These were provided in March 2022, after the Met publicly confirmed an investigation was taking place.
On Tuesday, 6 September 2022, police interviewed a man aged in his 50s and a man aged in his 40s under caution at a London police station.
A file was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on 31 October 2022 for early investigative advice. Offences under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 and Bribery Act 2010 were considered.
With the benefit of the CPS’s early investigative advice, and after careful consideration of the information received as a result of the investigation to date, the Met has concluded that no further action will be taken in this matter
Should any new information or evidence come to light that requires further assessment, this will be carried out by the Met’s SET.
Nobody has been arrested or charged during the course of this investigation.
