Fury as Boris Johnson ESCAPES criminal investigation over claims he gave Jennifer Arcuri special treatment when he was London mayor - despite investigation finding they WERE intimate
Political opponents have insisted Boris Johnson 'still has many questions to answer' following the police watchdog's decision not to open a criminal probe into his 'intimate' relationship with his alleged 'mistress' Jennifer Arcuri.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on Thursday that it would not be launching a probe into the Prime Minister following claims of misconduct in public office, which he denies.
The London Assembly said it will resume its own investigation into allegations that Ms Arcuri received thousands of pounds in public money and privileged access to three foreign trade trips led by Mr Johnson when he headed City Hall.
Siobhan Benita, the Liberal Democrat Candidate for Mayor of London, described the timing of the decision as 'outrageous' and urged the Prime Minister to face the London Assembly.
Jennifer Arcuri with Boris Johnson on a double-decker bus in 2012, when he was Mayor. The IOPC said on Thursday that it would not be launching a probe into the Prime Minister following claims of misconduct in public office, which he denies
The Prime Minister pictured returning back to Downing Street today after his morning exercise. The London Assembly said it will resume its own investigation into allegations
Neil Coyle, Labour MP for Bermondsey and Southwark, tweeted following the IOPC's decision
She said: 'It is outrageous that a decision as important as this comes so late, effectively kicked into the long grass during the general election.
'Boris Johnson may not be facing a criminal investigation but he still has many questions to answer.
'The Prime Minister should face the London Assembly so that his conduct can be thoroughly examined. Avoiding scrutiny may be his trademark but it should not be tolerated.'
The review established there was a 'close association' between the pair and there 'may have been an intimate relationship'.
Neil Coyle, Labour MP for Bermondsey and Southwark, also tweeted: 'Boris Johnson faces an Oversight Committee inquiry to see if his handling of Jennifer Arcuri when Mayor of London breached conduct rules.
'They'll be looking at 'integrity, selflessness, openness and honesty' in his conduct. Anyone else suspect they won't find any?'
Neither the PM nor Ms Arcuri have denied that they were involved in an affair.
IOPC Director General Michael Lockwood said: 'While there was no evidence that Mr Johnson influenced the payment of sponsorship monies or participation in trade missions, there was evidence to suggest that those officers making decisions about sponsorship monies and attendance on trade missions thought that there was a close relationship between Mr Johnson and Ms Arcuri, and this influenced their decision-making.'
The allegations were referred to the IOPC in September because the watchdog has a remit over the City Hall role, as head of the mayor's office for policing and crime.
The IOPC stated: 'The Independent Office for Police Conduct today informed the Right Honourable Boris Johnson and the Greater London Authority (GLA) that it will not be conducting a criminal investigation into allegations that Mr Johnson used his position while Mayor of London to benefit and reward American businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri.
'The IOPC's Operation Lansdowne review found no evidence indicating Mr Johnson influenced the payment of any sponsorship monies to Ms Arcuri or that he influenced or played an active part in securing her participation in trade missions.'
But the London Assembly said it would resume its own investigation, which it paused at the request of the police watchdog.
The allegations were referred to the IOPC in September because the watchdog has a remit over the City Hall role (pictured: Boris Johnson and Jennifer Arcuri in 2014)
A review established there was a 'close association' between the pair and there 'may have been an intimate relationship' between Ms Arcuri (left) and Mr Johnson (right, outside No10 today)
A redacted part of the report, pictured above, which reads: 'The witness confirmed that Ms Arcuri disclosed to them that she and Mr Johnson were in a sexual relationship'
Len Duvall, chairman of the Greater London Authority's oversight committee, said: 'The IOPC was looking specifically at whether he committed a criminal offence.
'That's not our remit and their decision doesn't have any real bearing on our investigation, which will focus on his conduct as mayor of London.'
The Assembly's investigation will look at whether Mr Johnson 'conducted himself in a way that's expected' from a senior public official, said Mr Duval.
'The oversight committee will take into account the current emergency when looking at the timetable for the investigation,' he added.
Johnson's Downing Street office said it welcomed 'that this politically motivated complaint has been thrown out'.
'This was not a policing matter, and we consider this was a waste of police time,' it added.
Ms Arcuri, 35, has admitted hosting the thrice-married 55-year-old at her flat in Shoreditch, east London, which featured a nightclub dancing pole, but has repeatedly refused to answer questions about sex.
At the time Mr Johnson was married to barrister Marine Wheeler, the mother of four of his children, although Ms Arcuri said the visits stopped after he became Foreign Secretary.
The couple later divorced and the Tory leader's 32-year-old fiancee, Carrie Symonds, recently gave birth to their baby boy, Wilfred.
Ms Arcuri insists she and Mr Johnson 'did nothing wrong' and has previously said: 'I had every right to be on those trips as a legitimate businesswoman and stand by everything that happened because these allegations are completely false.'
Ms Arcuri accompanied Mr Johnson on three official trade missions despite not qualifying as a delegate and her companies received £126,000 in public money. At the time they were allegedly having a four-year affair which he failed to declare.
The IOPC began an investigation on the basis that Mr Johnson was the equivalent of London's police and crime commissioner at the time and Ms Arcuri agreed to give evidence 'to clear the matter up'.
Mr Johnson has refused to answer questions about what happened but claims he acted with 'full propriety' and had 'no interest to declare'. He is also facing a standards investigation by the London Assembly's oversight committee.
Ms Arcuri spoke about her 'very special' relationship with Mr Johnson in an astonishing series of TV appearances last year.
Ms Arcuri swerved queries about her relationship with Mr Johnson, telling GMB hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid in December last year that she did not want to 'be pressured into admitting' to anything about her links to the Prime Minister.
Later, speaking to Victoria Derbyshire, Ms Arcuri insisted Mr Johnson did not do her any 'favours' but said she wished he had declared her as an interest if it could have 'saved me this entire embarrassment and humiliation'.
She said: 'I would love an apology for acknowledging the fact that given all those years, you know, that I was on the ground, hustling and working as a student. I mean he saw my arc, he saw my progression as a young woman, graduating and becoming, you know, a mature entrepreneur.'
She also accused the Prime Minister of feeding her to the wolves. Asked if Mr Johnson 'had bigger fish to fry', she said: 'That's what you tell somebody when you meet them for the night, you don't know them, you haven't spent the hours with them, the investment into another person.
'And the fact that I'm called out, just on GMB, because 'why I am here if I'm not here to admit the affair?'
'Well wait a minute I'm not allowed to be upset because somebody that was very much a part of my life, who knew what I stood for, the calibre and integrity and merit that I work at. I mean all these things he knew and he sat back, why?
'He didn't have to ignore me, it could have been a 30-second phone call, just to let me know that he's acknowledging the fact that he, while he gets to be prime minister gets to feed me to the wolves - and I find that really disturbing.'
Ms Arcuri pictured with Mr Johnson. Ms Arcuri spoke about her 'very special' relationship with Mr Johnson in an astonishing series of TV appearances last year
Fury as Boris Johnson ESCAPES criminal investigation over claims he gave Jennifer Arcuri special treatment when he was London mayor - despite investigation finding they WERE intimate
![Fury as Boris Johnson ESCAPES criminal investigation over claims he gave Jennifer Arcuri special treatment when he was London mayor - despite investigation finding they WERE intimate]()
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May 22, 2020
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