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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Police send expenses cases to CPS | Police send expenses cases to CPS |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Police investigating alleged abuses of parliamentary expenses have referred four cases to prosecutors. | Police investigating alleged abuses of parliamentary expenses have referred four cases to prosecutors. |
| Detectives have been looking into several cases since the allowances scandal erupted over the summer. | Detectives have been looking into several cases since the allowances scandal erupted over the summer. |
| The identities of the four parliamentarians, who come from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, have not yet been revealed. | The identities of the four parliamentarians, who come from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, have not yet been revealed. |
| The Metropolitan Police said "a small number" of further cases were still being investigated. | The Metropolitan Police said "a small number" of further cases were still being investigated. |
| There have been no arrests during the investigation, although some people have been interviewed under caution, the BBC understands. | |
| Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer must now decide whether there is a realistic chance of convicting the four and what charges, if any, to bring. | Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer must now decide whether there is a realistic chance of convicting the four and what charges, if any, to bring. |
| If any politicians are found guilty of fraud or false accounting, they could face maximum penalties of 10 or seven years in prison. | If any politicians are found guilty of fraud or false accounting, they could face maximum penalties of 10 or seven years in prison. |
| A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The Metropolitan Police Service has today delivered four main files of evidence relating to parliamentary expenses to the Crown Prosecution Service." | A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The Metropolitan Police Service has today delivered four main files of evidence relating to parliamentary expenses to the Crown Prosecution Service." |
| He added that these would "now be subject to CPS consideration on whether there should be any charges". | He added that these would "now be subject to CPS consideration on whether there should be any charges". |
| The spokesman also said: "A small number of cases remain under investigation." | The spokesman also said: "A small number of cases remain under investigation." |
| A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said: "Any decisions on whether or not there should be any charges in relation to these files will be made as quickly as is reasonably practical. | A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said: "Any decisions on whether or not there should be any charges in relation to these files will be made as quickly as is reasonably practical. |
| "Since a number of other cases in relation to parliamentary expenses are still under investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment any further at this stage." | "Since a number of other cases in relation to parliamentary expenses are still under investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment any further at this stage." |