Protection officer for PM held in bets inquiry
The Guardian|June 20, 2024
One of Rishi Sunak's close protection officers has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over alleged bets about the timing of the general election.
Ben Quinn, Vikram Dodd
Protection officer for PM held in bets inquiry

The news comes a week on from the Guardian's revelation that Rishi Sunak's closest parliamentary aide, Craig Williams, had placed a £100 bet on a July election three days before the prime minister named the date.

As a result of that incident, the Gambling Commission did a wider investigation and found information that led to the decision to investigate the officer. The Metropolitan police said they were contacted last Friday by the regulator, which told them 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 was immediately referred to officers in the Met's directorate of professional standards, who opened an investigation, and the officer was also removed from operational duties," the force said.

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 forces in England and Wales.

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