No Charges Over Home Office Leak Inquiry

There is 'insufficient evidence' to bring a court case against the Conservative Shadow Immigration Minister.

MP Damian Green, who was arrested as part of an inquiry over Home Office leaks, will not face charges.

The Crown Prosecution Service said that Christopher Galley, the Home Office worker who leaked information to Mr Green, will not face charges either.

Mr Green, who was arrested last November, said he was "very pleased" at the decision.

The Ashford MP and Mr Galley have always denied any wrongdoing over the leaks, which related to immigration and crime issues.

Today, the Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer explained his decision.

He said that he was originally asked to look at claims that Mr Galley had committed misconduct in public office and that Mr Green had aided, abetted, counselled or procured such an offence.

In a statement, he said there was a "high threshold before criminal proceedings can properly be brought", and that he had considered the "freedom of the press to publish information and ideas on matters of public interest".

He added: "I have concluded that the information leaked was not secret information or information affecting national security."

There was "insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction against Mr Galley or Mr Green".

Mr Green has always said he was releasing information the information conveyed to him in the public interest.

His arrest followed a series of leaks beginning with revelations that the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith had been warned that thousands of illegal immigrants had been cleared to work in sensitive Whitehall security jobs.

Then, an e-mail to Liam Byrne, then a Home Office minister, was published, revealing that he was informed about an illegal Brazilian immigrant who allegedly worked in Parliament on a fake ID card.

A further leak saw the publication of a list of Labour MPs considered likely to rebel against the Government's plans to detain terror suspects for up to 42 days without charge.

Mr Green was arrested and held by the Metropolitan Police for nine hours last November when his offices in Kent and in the Houses of Parliament and home were also searched.

The parliamentary search took place without a warrant, after an official gave police permission.

See: MP Raid Debate Rumbles On

(BMcC/KMcA)