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| Lord Paul cleared in parliamentary expenses row
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London, March 9 /--/ British police has cleared Lord Swraj Paul of allegations that he had wrongly claimed parliamentary expenses, in a major relief to the NRI industrialist.
The 78-year-old Labour peer announced today that the Metropolitan Police had informed him that "it will no longer be proceeding with any investigation or inquiry in relation to my House of Lords expenses."
Mr Paul also announced that he had decided to end his "non-dom" (non-domicile) tax status that allows residents in Britain not to pay all their taxes in this country.
Following media allegations that he was among the MPs who wrongly claimed allowances, the Metropolitan Police had been carrying out an investigation into his parliamentary expenses as part of "its wider inquiries into this issue," Mr Paul, chairman of the Caparo Group of industries, said.
"I very much welcome the police's decision" to clear him of the allegations, said Paul, who is regarded as a close friend of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The MPs expenses row had rocked both houses of Parliament since last year as a result of which Brown, Conservative leader David Cameron and some other lawmakers have repaid some of the expenses claimed by them. Four parliamentarians have been charged by the police for false accounting.
British media had alleged that Paul had wrongly claimed 38,000 pounds between 2004 and 2006 for staying in a flat at Oxfordshire in a hotel owned by him. He maintained he did not sleep there but was entitled to 174 pounds per night allowance because that was his residence during this period.
The MPs expenses row had rocked both houses of the British Parliament since last year as a result of which Brown, Conservative leader David Cameron and some other lawmakers have repaid some of the expenses claimed by them. Four parliamentarians have been charged by the police for false accounting.
British media had alleged that Mr Paul had wrongly claimed 38,000 pounds between 2004 and 2006 for staying in a flat at Oxfordshire in a hotel owned by him. He maintained that he did not sleep in the flat but was entitled to 174 pounds per night allowance because that was his residence during this period.
Following the allegations, Mr Paul had requested the House of Lords for a probe pending which he had decided not to function as the Deputy Speaker of the House at his own request.
The outcome of this probe to be conducted by the Clerk of the House has not yet been announced but the decision of the police not to proceed with any investigation in his case is a major victory for Paul, who had been under attack from sections of the media.(PTI)
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