Annex 147
Letter to Mr Jaffer A Kapasi OBE DL MKD
from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
Thank you for your letter of 16 June 2000.
At its meeting yesterday the Standards and Privileges
Committee decided that they wished you to assist my enquiry and
the Chairman is writing to you separately. I look forward to your
arranging to see me shortly when I will be happy to discuss fully
the points you make in the letter.
I accept the point you make about the misunderstanding
between you and Ms Melville-Brown which led to her letter to me
of 23 May.
There is one further matter where I need to
set the record straight as I can only assume there was another
misunderstanding, in this instance between you and me. We spoke
on the telephone on 24 May but at no time did I say that I have
power to arrest you. I have not. You asked what would happen if
you did not assist my enquiry. I explained that it was likely
that the Committee would ask you to appear before them if you
refused to answer my questions. I also explained the powers given
to the Committee by the House of Commons to ensure that people
provide the necessary information, and that they have said they
will use those powers to support my enquiries. You said that you
were aware of the Committee's powers including "that they
could arrest you". We discussed your duty to the House of
Commons which I believed you fully understood.
When Mr Mark Stephens telephoned me on 24 May
he told me that you had got such an impression from our conversation,
I was most surprised and gave Mr Stephens the facts and my account
of our conversation. I assume he set the matter straight with
you on that date. For the avoidance of further misunderstanding
the position is as follows. The Committee can compel a witness
to attend to give evidence. If a witness refuses an order to appear
before the Committee the Officers of the House can draw upon the
assistance of the civil authorities, if necessary, to ensure the
order is obeyed. It is only in this limited context and as a last
resort that any question of arrest would apply.
I fully accept that your hesitancy on your part
to meet me is purely due to your concern over what you describe
as Sir Peter Soulsby's motives in attempting to involve you in
this matter. I must make it clear that Sir Peter Soulsby has not
sought to involve you in this matter and his motives have no part
in my invitation to you to assist me. I am solely responsible
for asking you to answer questions about events in which you may
or may not have been involved. All I require from you is a complete
and truthful account of matters where you have knowledge and information
about issues where you have no knowledge or involvement.
I look forward to hearing from you or your solicitors
to arrange a meeting but I am sorry to tell you that so far they
have not followed your instructions to get in touch with me by
14 June. I trust you will put these arrangements in hand without
further delay.
21 June 2000
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