Prosecutors to look at MP’s expenses

Oct 8 2010 by Craig Robertson, Dumfries Standard Friday

A REPORT has been sent to prosecutors over allegations relating to an MP’s expenses.

Dumfries and Galloway Police confirmed yesterday that the formal submission had been made to the Procurator Fiscal over an investigation concerning Dumfriesshire Conservative MP David Mundell.

Police looked at expenses claims submitted by Mr Mundell following May’s General Election.

Strict legal limits exist for the amount of money candidates can spend in separate sections known as the long campaign and the short campaign.

It is alleged Mr Mundell breached those limits by submitting a bill for a newspaper advert under long campaign spending when it should have been under the short campaign.

It’s claimed that, had the bill been under the short campaign, it would have put the MP over the limit for that section and place him in breach of electoral law.

The report to the Procurator Fiscal follows an interview which detectives had with Mr Mundell last week.

At this stage the Procurator Fiscal would usually decide what, if any, further action is to be taken.

A police spokesman said: “Our investigations are now complete and I can confirm that a report has been sent to the Procurator Fiscal.”

Mr Mundell has not commented on the investigation.

Last week he admitted there had been a “mistake” in his claims.