Annex 12
Letter to the Parliamentary Commissioner
for Standards from Mr Keith Vaz MP
Thank you for your letter dated 4 February 2000
enclosing one from the above-named. I received these today. I
have the following comments to make on Mr Milne's letter:
Paragraph 2
I have never requested nor received cash payments
of any kind from Mr Zaiwalla. I have not authorised any person
from my office, male or female to go to Mr Zaiwalla's office in
1994 or any other date to collect any money. The journalists from
the Sunday Telegraph Rajev Syal and Chris Hastings have
interviewed former members of my staff who worked for me in 1994
in December 1999 and January 2000. None of them substantiated
this story. There is not a shred of evidence to support this.
It is not true.
Paragraph 3
I know absolutely nothing about Mr Zaiwalla's
tax matters or any investigation. I have never discussed this
with him or anyone else. I have not written to, spoken to or communicated
in any way with anyone from the Inland Revenue about this matter
nor was I asked to do so, nor did I promise to do so. There is
not a shred of evidence to support this. It is not true.
I note from the Sunday papers that Mr Zaiwalla
denies making any payments. I know nothing of Mr Milne's employment
dispute with Mr Zaiwalla.
I am confident that you will find that there
is no basis for the allegations. However, the fact that they have
been reproduced by several newspapers will have lodged the accusation
in the minds of their readers. I would be glad if your judgement
could be issued as soon as possible and that it be done publicly
so that those newspapers can make it clear that I have been falsely
accused.
Thank you for speaking to me on Saturday and
today.
7 February 2000
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