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| Police investigate AM Neil McEvoy's secret recordings | Police investigate AM Neil McEvoy's secret recordings |
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| Police have launched an investigation into secret recordings made by a Welsh assembly member of the man who oversees complaints about AMs. | Police have launched an investigation into secret recordings made by a Welsh assembly member of the man who oversees complaints about AMs. |
| Neil McEvoy claimed his recordings of standards commissioner Sir Roderick Evans revealed sexism and bias. | |
| Sir Roderick, who resigned on Monday, said much of what had been shared was out of context and misleading. | Sir Roderick, who resigned on Monday, said much of what had been shared was out of context and misleading. |
| Independent AM Mr McEvoy, who faced three investigations by Sir Roderick, said he had acted lawfully. | |
| South Wales Police said it had "commenced an investigation following a referral from the National Assembly for Wales concerning allegations of covert recordings". | South Wales Police said it had "commenced an investigation following a referral from the National Assembly for Wales concerning allegations of covert recordings". |
| Mr McEvoy's actions prompted a security sweep of the assembly estate. | |
| Opening assembly business on Tuesday, presiding officer Elin Jones said police had been asked to look into how the recordings were made and investigate their legality. | Opening assembly business on Tuesday, presiding officer Elin Jones said police had been asked to look into how the recordings were made and investigate their legality. |
| "The covert recording of private conversations on the assembly estate is a serious breach of trust," she said. | "The covert recording of private conversations on the assembly estate is a serious breach of trust," she said. |
| She alleged the recordings included confidential evidence by a witness during an investigation into Mr McEvoy's conduct. | She alleged the recordings included confidential evidence by a witness during an investigation into Mr McEvoy's conduct. |
| Assembly authorities have begun the process of finding a new commissioner and Ms Jones told the assembly no complaints would be dropped as a result of Sir Roderick's resignation. | |
| Mr McEvoy defended his secret recordings of Sir Roderick and his staff in a press conference on Tuesday. | |
| Accusing Sir Roderick of presiding over a "locker room culture", he claimed the commissioner aired "really sexist views" about "female lawyers who - of course because they're female - they're emotional". | |
| He added: "There was a provocative and politically incorrect culture in the commissioner's office that came across through the recordings." | |
| Mr McEvoy alleged he heard a joke made about women politicians and a comment that former Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood should "wind her neck in". | |
| Sir Roderick, a former high court judge and pro-chancellor of Swansea University, previously said Mr McEvoy's conduct was "wholly unacceptable" and "undermines the integrity of the complaints procedure". | |
| The office of the standards commissioner had no further comment to make about Mr McEvoy's press conference. | |
| The controversy erupted in the assembly chamber on Tuesday, when Brexit Party Senedd leader Mark Reckless was told by Ms Jones to stop quoting from a transcript of the recordings. | |
| She also demanded he withdraw an accusation of bias, to which he replied: "The truth or otherwise of the allegation, I withdraw it." | |
| What allegations is Neil McEvoy facing? | |
| He faces three investigations - one relating to £5,000 of building work on his constituency office. | |
| In a transcript of the recordings released to the media by Mr McEvoy's office, Sir Roderick is reported saying the authenticity of two quotes "couldn't be demonstrated". | |
| "We have to consider if they are forgeries or whatever, [and] whether he should be reported to the police," he added. | |
| Mr McEvoy said he had taken the cheapest quote available: "The quotes were nothing to do with me. I took them in good faith." | |
| He said the builder was "just somebody that I knew." | |
| The second matter was about him losing his temper with Labour AM Mick Antoniw - he admitted being "aggressive to him," but felt Mr Antoniw was arrogant. | |
| "If the individual was really offended by my behaviour, and he was upset by it, then I apologise to Mick," he added. | |
| He also faced an allegation he misused assembly funds for political campaigning. | |
| Dismissing this, Mr McEvoy said: "Strange that, isn't it, a Plaid Cymru member using his office for the benefit of Plaid Cymru." | |
| He was a Plaid Cymru member until 2018, when he was expelled. |