Once again the state protects its agent

[jamesUK]

The Crown Prosecution Service has dropped all charges against Richard Barnbrook and Griffin in relation to the election expenses case for the general election in Barking in 2010. [snipped - libel]

[Thomas Atkins]

Fake invoices? If an invoice is fake that is hard evidence, a fake invoice will get you in big trouble with the tax office, another government agent. The CPS should be the same, why no prosecution? If the invoice is fake?

[Franken]

What was the core of the allegations in respect to the invoices?

[Road_Hog]

What was the core of the allegations in respect to the invoices?

I don't think it was fake invoices. From memory, you have to pay election expenses (printing etc.) within a certain time frame (90 days of the election?). The BNP didn't pay the invoices, but Barnbrook (not knowing they hadn't been paid I presume) claimed the money for them on expenses. The case was, that Barnbrook had claimed the money and BNP central hadn't paid the invoice.

[Franken]

I don't think it was fake invoices. From memory, you have to pay election expenses (printing etc.) within a certain time frame (90 days of the election?). The BNP didn't pay the invoices, but Barnbrook (not knowing they hadn't been paid I presume) claimed the money for them on expenses. The case was, that Barnbrook had claimed the money and BNP central hadn't paid the invoice.

So, hardly a capital offence, more like a slap on the hand punishment?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&fe...&v=G0OsNom-FpQ

[Athelstan]

I don't think it was fake invoices. From memory, you have to pay election expenses (printing etc.) within a certain time frame (90 days of the election?). The BNP didn't pay the invoices, but Barnbrook (not knowing they hadn't been paid I presume) claimed the money for them on expenses. The case was, that Barnbrook had claimed the money and BNP central hadn't paid the invoice.

You can't 'claim' the money from election expenses, you are just declaring what was spent.

[Athelstan]

Seems strange that this has been dropped now that the London elections are out the way and Barnbrook didn't stand again. You don't think pressure was applied by the establishment do you?

[Road_Hog]

You can't 'claim' the money from election expenses, you are just declaring what was spent.

Much as I hate to use the following site as evidence, I can't be bothered to trawl through loads of Google replies and it is the first one that came up.

"Richard Barnbrook, who at the time was the BNP’s London Assembly member, included bills from Newton Press in the return of election expenses that he submitted to the Barking returning officer on behalf of Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, and marked them as paid. Election law requires all a candidates’ expenses to be paid within 28 days."

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/news/a...lection-return

[blueblood1920]

Griffin getting away with lying and screwing things up, how surprising. He and his party are however becoming more irrelevant by the day, good riddance.