A Scotland Yard investigation into cash-for-honours allegations involving one of the King’s charities has been blasted as a “whitewash”.
King Charles’ former right hand man, Michael Fawcett, was accused of promising to help a Saudi billionaire donor achieve British citizenship and a knighthood. Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, 53, honoured by the then Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace after handing over £1.5m to help restore royal residences in Scotland.
Mr Fawcett allegedly wrote a letter stating that he was ”willing and happy” to make an application to change Mr Mahfouz’s honorary CBE to a knighthood and to support his application for citizenship in light of his “generosity”. Mr Fawcett, 60, was at the time working as CEO of the Dumfries House Trust. Charles’ most loyal aide resigned his role as chief executive of The Prince’s Foundation in the wake of the scandal.
The Metropolitan Police, which launched the probe in February 2022, said the decision not to prosecute followed advice from prosecutors and consideration of the information received to date.
Saudi billionaire Dr Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin MahfouzAnti-monarchy group Republic had made a formal complaint to the Met Police about the allegations and criticised the service’s decision, saying their complaint was against the King and Mr Fawcett, not the foundation.
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The group said it would now demand that Parliament investigates “the questionable relationship between the royals and the police.”
Norman Baker, former Lib Dem MP and privy counsellor, called the decision a “disgrace”.
Criticising the police investigation, he added: “We understand neither Michael Fawcett nor Charles had even been spoken to, let alone interviewed under caution. Eventually the matter was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, which by definition means the police believe these was a case to answer. Or were they just desperate to pass this hot potato? Now almost a year on, with irrefutable evidence there in black and white, they have decided to take no action. This is a disgrace, a right royal whitewash. It is clear that in this country, we now have one rule for the royals, and one for everybody else.”
The Met Police said having interviewed several witnesses and examined more than 200 documents no further action would be taken.
Mr Fawcett, Charles’s former valet who rose through the ranks, resigned as chief executive of The Prince’s Foundation in the wake of the allegations.
The Prince’s Foundation commissioned an independent investigation into the allegations, which found evidence of Mr Fawcett’s “communications and co-ordination” with “so-called ‘fixers’ regarding honorary nominations for a donor between 2014-18”.
A spokesperson for The Prince’s Foundation said: “The Prince’s Foundation has noted the decision of the Metropolitan Police. Following the conclusion of its own independent investigation and governance review last year, the charity is moving forward with a continued focus on delivering the education and training programmes for which it has been established.”
Charles is president of the foundation but not involved with its governance, with the charity’s trustees overseeing its day-to-day activities. The initial press coverage of the allegations included a Mail on Sunday article that featured a 2017 letter in which Mr Fawcett reportedly wrote he was willing to make an application to change businessman Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz’s honorary CBE to a knighthood, and support his application for citizenship.
The letter, written on headed notepaper in Mr Fawcett’s then-capacity as chief executive of the Dumfries House Trust, said the applications would be made in response to “the most recent and anticipated support” of the trust. Mr Mahfouz is reported to have donated large sums to restoration projects of particular interest to Charles. Mr Mahfouz is said to deny any wrongdoing.
The Met Police said in a statement: “A file was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on October 31 2022 for early investigative advice. Offences under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 and Bribery Act 2010 were considered. With the benefit of the CPS’s early investigative advice, and after careful consideration of the information received as a result of the investigation to date, the Met has concluded that no further action will be taken in this matter. mShould any new information or evidence come to light that requires further assessment, this will be carried out by the Met’s SET (Special Enquiry Team).” A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “We have noted the decision of the Metropolitan Police Service. All other inquiries are a matter for the Prince’s Foundation.”
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