The Metropolitan police has arrested one of Rishi Sunak’s close protection officers, Craig Williams, over alleged bets about the timing of the election.
The arrest comes after the Guardian revealed that Williams had placed a £100 bet on a July election just three days before the prime minister named the date.
The Gambling Commission conducted a wider investigation and found information leading to the decision to investigate the officer.
The Metropolitan police was contacted by the Gambling Commission last Friday, which informed the force that it was investigating alleged bets related to the timing of an election by a constable from the Met’s Royalty and Specialist Protection Command.
The matter has also been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the watchdog responsible for overseeing the system for handling complaints made against police forces in England and Wales.
The Gambling Commission continues to lead the investigation into the alleged betting offences, and their investigation is running in parallel to that. Members of the Met’s Royalty and Specialist Protection Command operate in close proximity to the prime minister and his team, often sharing the same vehicle.
The Liberal Democrats have called on the prime minister to launch a full inquiry into this scandal. An IOPC spokesperson said they have received a mandatory referral from the Metropolitan police service and will make a decision on the level of IOPC involvement in due course.
Any decision on charges and whether any criminal offence may have been committed would be made by the Crown Prosecution Service.
