London police will not investigate British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s attendance at a Downing Street party in the midst of a lockdown in May 2020. This was announced on Thursday, January 13, by Business Insider.
“In accordance with the policy of the metropolitan police, its officers usually do not investigate violations of the rules related to the coronavirus when they are reported long after they took place,” the publication quotes the text of the department’s statement.
At the same time, if there is “substantial evidence”, they are ready to be considered. The police added that the Cabinet of Ministers “conducts its own investigation” of the specified event to find out whether it was a criminal offense, before handing over the information to law enforcement officers for a full clarification of the circumstances.
On January 12, Boris Johnson admitted to having attended the party and apologized for it. According to him, he came to the event to “thank the government officials,” and after 25 minutes left and returned to work.
Johnson became aware of the violation of coronavirus rules thanks to two witnesses. On January 7, former chief adviser to the prime minister Dominic Cummings wrote about the secret party in his blog. After that, the opposition Labor Party said that if the presence of the prime minister at the party is confirmed, then he will not avoid “serious questions.”
On January 11, reporters from broadcasters ITV and the BBC released confirmations that during the first wave of coronavirus, Johnson organized a secret party in the garden of the Prime Minister’s residence. Despite the ban on public events, the prime minister summoned about a hundred employees, of whom 30 people came to the friendly event.
