Home affairsLetter from Sir Ian Andrews, Chair, Serious Organised Crime Agency, to the Chair of the Committee, 23 July 2013

MEDIA REPORTING

As you know, The Independent and Daily Mail newspapers ran stories this morning suggesting that I tailed to declare an interest in that my wife provides General Counsel services to G3 Good Governance Group Limited (G3) when I gave evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee last month. As both reports acknowledged, I have made clear that there was in my view no such conflict but said that I would write to you and the Home Secretary to explain why.

I was invited to give evidence to the Select Committee in my capacity as Chairman of SOCA and made clear that questions on operational issues and judgements should be directed to the Director General, Trevor Pearce. The evidence related to issues arising out of a report (Project RIVERSIDE) and Operation MILLIPEDE which were completed or initiated respectively before I became Chairman of SOCA. The Director General of SOCA has general operational control over SOCA’s activities including deciding which operations are mounted in the exercise of SOCA’s functions and how such operations are conducted.

The MILLIPEDE client list was delivered to you earlier today as agreed under the established procedure for communicating sensitive information to Committees of the House. The decision to place a classification on the list of clients was the Director General’s, on legal advice, although it was communicated by me in a reply to a letter you had sent me. The subsequent issue of the disclosure of evidential material to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) involved judgements which were quite properly for Mr Pearce to address, which he did: and this has since also been the subject of a joint statement with Commander Basu of the MPS.

It is matter of public record that my wife, Moira Andrews, after leaving the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2011 and amongst other independent interests became General Counsel of G3, a role she has filled since 2012 as a part time consultant. G3 is a strategic advisory consultancy specialising in providing advice on managing opportunities, risk mitigation, governance and regulatory compliance, particularly in emerging markets.

My wife and I also conduct outside consultancy work employed by Abis Partnership Limited (Abis) of which she and I are joint Directors. Abis has not yet filed its first accounts but when it does it will describe its principal business as legal and management consultancy. I have delivered services through Abis to the Department of Health, Kings College London and Transparency International (UK).