Thread by @MarkWatts_1

1. Day 12 of Westminster hearings at #CSAinquiry – my round-up in 14 tweets.

Counsel to #CSAinquiry strokes the cat put up by MI6...

And the odd couple from the Met and the IOPC are recalled to hose down some police whistleblowers a bit more…

2. MI6 put up an anonymous witness to #CSAinquiry, understood to be its legal director, who gave evidence via video link, with only audio for observers.

But we learnt nothing more than I revealed @FOIACentre last week:

1. foiacentre.com/news-CSA-inqui…
2. foiacentre.com/news-CSA-inqui…

3. Counsel to #CSAinquiry, Brian Altman, asked the MI6 witness whether inquiry did not ask it to disclose any material on Sir Maurice Oldfield, former MI6 chief.

“That is correct. We weren’t asked to disclose any such material.”

And, er, that was it on Oldfield.

*Miaow*

4. Counsel to #CSAinquiry put no real questions to MI6 man, instead asking him to confirm that he had made various points in his written statement.

Sometimes, while stroking the MI6 cat, counsel just asked him to read out chunks of his statement. *Miaow*

An inquiry, it ain’t.

5. So compelling were the handful of police whisteblowers who were allowed to testify to #CSAinquiry during Week 1 of Westminster inv re #VIPaedophile cover-ups that Catherine Roper of the Met & Christopher Mahaffey of IOPC were called back to try to hose them down some more…

6. The odd couple of Catherine Roper of the Met and Christopher Mahaffey of the “Independent” Office of Police Conduct were, bizarrely, put into the #CSAinquiry witness box together.

So much for the *independence* of the IOPC…

7. Commander Catherine Roper, of Met’s professional standards department, told #CSAinquiry: “We are conscious of the fact we work in a rank organisation.”

She was talking about the Met’s “hierarchical structure”, rather than in a fit of frankness.

8. On claims to #CSAinquiry by police whistleblowers’ and even Lord Taverne that Met has been reluctant to investigate VIPs for sex offences, Catherine Roper denied that it would fail to pursue such cases.

“I don’t recognise that culture of deference to people of prominence.”

9. But Met’s Catherine Roper admitted to #CSAinquiry: “We would be mindful of the impact of an investigation about someone of prominence, particularly now, with social media, and… with all the different ways that it is so easy for the media to report on our investigations.”

10. Met’s Catherine Roper added to #CSAinquiry re #VIPaedophile cover-ups: “I don’t doubt the evidence that’s been given.

“I’m saying there’s no wider evidence to support what is being suggested by some of the people over the last few weeks.”

11. And IOPC’s Christopher Mahaffey was given chance to row back on his point to #CSAinquiry on Day 2 of how police go through extra hoops in taking action, such as making an arrest, if the suspect of child sexual abuse is an MP.

He tried. But his original point still stood...

12. Christopher Mahaffey told #CSAinquiry: “You could say this person is being treated differently because he is an MP.”

“Commander Roper has touched on the fact that there’s much wider issues for a senior police officer to consider the impact of carrying out such actions...”

13. “You have to be absolutely sure and make sure that, to cut to the chase, the evidence is there to support any such application.

“I’m not saying any sort of person who isn’t an MP would necessarily be treated hugely differently.” Christopher Mahaffey to #CSAinquiry.

Hmm.

14. But the evidence from some police whistlelbowers re #VIPaedophile cover-ups was so strong, even Christopher Mahaffey and Catherine Roper conceded to #CSAinquiry that they may have to re-open one of the cases that they had closed.