Annex i23
Letter to the Parliamentary Commissioner
for Standards from Mr Keith Vaz MP
Further to my letter of 6th August 2001 I have the
following response to make:
17. It appears that the BBC has placed reliance
on electoral registration information which I have discovered
is not accurate. I do not have copies of the electoral registration
forms and I would imagine that people do not normally keep these,
they either hand it to the canvassers or send it to the local
office. I have therefore written to the appropriate authorities
concerned to obtain as much information as possible.
18. I wonder if you could clarify the list of
names for 70 Teignmouth Road. That property which was our first
matrimonial home is a converted block of flats and not a single
dwelling. The persons who we sold it to when we purchased * *
* are not listed, although I have asked the solicitor who dealt
with the sale to check this. Would you kindly check the information
you received from the BBC as there appears to be a number of office
copy entries missing between the time we sold it and moved to
* * * and the time it was purchased by whoever purchased it from
the new owners in 1999. I assume it is one of the persons on the
list. It was always described as the "garden Flat" though
the BBC describe it as the "ground floor flat".
* * *
20. Rita Gresty worked for Ms Fernandes until
May 2000. I understand that she was a mental patient at Shenley
hospital, and that she has been in and out of a number of mental
hospitals since then. None of this information was available when
she was appointed. My knowledge of these matters is not first
hand but I am sure you can verify the facts. I have never met
Ms Eggington who it appears only in her letter to you dated 8th
June 2001 admitted Mrs Gristy's illness and only after she had
apparently entered into a commercial agreement with a national
newspaper and that newspaper had published an article describing
Mrs Gresty as "suicidal". These matters are now the
subject of legal proceedings. I am aware that Mrs Gresty instructed
solicitors last year claiming unfair dismissal but I am unaware
of what became of the proceedings, Ms Eggington may be able to
assist you on this point. A number of calls were made to our home,
one from the hospital informing us that Mrs Gresty was about to
arrive at our home, and one from Ms Eggington giving us the same
information.
21. As a result of these activities I can inform
you in the strictest confidence that we notified the police following
threats made against * * *. We have had the benefit of a police
alarm in our home in case any attempt is made by anyone involved
to contact * * *.
22. The information that Ms Eggington purports
to give is both inaccurate and wrong and the "statement"
that has been made by Mrs Gresty is untrue. She purports to use
personal information about my eating habits etc., which has not
come from anyone other than herself. In answer to your two specific
questions, Mary Martin has never been employed by me or Ms Fernandes
and we have always been fully aware of her status. She is and
remains a friend of our family who has as a result of the actions
of Ms Eggington and or Mrs Gresty had journalists posing as immigration
officers and harassing Mrs Martin * * *.
23. Can you please confirm that you have nothing
further to put to me that is outstanding before I deal with my
submission to you. I want to be in a position to give you full
and accurate answers and can only do so if everything has been
put to me that causes you concern or that you need clarified.
Once I have this confirmation I shall send my comments to Geoffrey
Bindman so that he can advise me of any further information that
is needed and I will then submit to you whatever is outstanding.
Mr Bindman may contact you direct but you have indicated that
there is no problem with that.
13 August 2001
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