Day 13 of Janner hearings of #CSAinquiry behind closed doors again:
Kevin Yates, of Leicestershire Police’s ‘Operation Magnolia’, who was too ill to testify last Weds.
Matt Hewson, of ‘Operation Enamel’, due back.
And four witnesses from Labour party.
Kevin Yates, of Leicestershire Police’s ‘Operation Magnolia’, who was too ill to testify last Weds.
Matt Hewson, of ‘Operation Enamel’, due back.
And four witnesses from Labour party.
https://twitter.com/MarkWatts_1/status/1315909635597983744
Gregor McGill, director of legal services at CPS, who began his testimony yesterday (linked below), has been slotted into finish before Kevin Yates is called.
All happening behind closed doors.
All happening behind closed doors.
https://twitter.com/MarkWatts_1/status/1320998165366018048
Kevin Yates, who is testifying today at Janner hearings of #CSAinquiry behind closed doors, joined Operation Magnolia as a detective inspector in 2001.
We heard from two of his colleagues on Day 8, when he was due to testify before he reported in ill:
We heard from two of his colleagues on Day 8, when he was due to testify before he reported in ill:
https://twitter.com/MarkWatts_1/status/1318808738476613633
Kevin Yates may be testifying behind closed doors at #CSAinquiry, but what he told the IOPC about Operation Magnolia is a matter of public record.
He was aware, he told IOPC, that allegations against Greville Janner, then a Labour MP, were kept OUTSIDE the operation.
He was aware, he told IOPC, that allegations against Greville Janner, then a Labour MP, were kept OUTSIDE the operation.
I will just mention that we have just had a whole minute of today’s Janenr hearing at #CSAinquiry in open session...
Brian Altman, counsel to #CSAinquiry, reported that a government lawyer had contacted the inquiry to mention a crucial omission from the testimony of Helen Ewen from the Cabinet Office yesterday…
https://twitter.com/MarkWatts_1/status/1320998165366018048
Helen Ewen meant to confirm that the Security Service, aka MI5, was among the departments and agencies consulted about whether they had any concerns about the nomination of Greville Janner to the House of Lords.
MI5 said that it had no adverse comments to make about Janner.
MI5 said that it had no adverse comments to make about Janner.
Returning to Kevin Yates and Operation Magnolia.
Speaking about the claims against Greville Janner, Kevin Yates told IOPC that there was “no desire or possibility of going to interview him about these allegations.”
Speaking about the claims against Greville Janner, Kevin Yates told IOPC that there was “no desire or possibility of going to interview him about these allegations.”
Matt Hewson gave further testimony today.
I revealed key points from his statement to #CSAinquiry before the Janner hearings began:
I revealed key points from his statement to #CSAinquiry before the Janner hearings began:
https://twitter.com/MarkWatts_1/status/1315329659408723969
Matt Hewson may have confirmed to #CSAinquiry some interesting points about ‘Operation Enamel’, the investigation into Lord Janner launched in 2012, including its review of past actions, that you may well not know and are buried in IOPC report...
First, one detective constable recalled that a typed A4 notice was put up on a CID station notice board in 1974/75 “clearly displaying an intelligence item that officers both uniform and CID were not to gather intelligence or stop check vehicles in relation to Greville Janner.”
Second, a detective sergeant recalled returning a child absconder to Beeches children’s home and saw Greville Janner MP sitting in a chair with a young boy on the arm of the chair.
He nodded towards them. Janner held on to the boy’s shoulders and steered him out to back garden.
He nodded towards them. Janner held on to the boy’s shoulders and steered him out to back garden.
Speaking about spotting Greville Janner in a children’s home, this detective sergeant said: “Seeing this rang alarm bells with me because I could not understand why a member of Parliament was at a children’s home.”
He put in a report, he said.
But he “heard nothing.”
He put in a report, he said.
But he “heard nothing.”
This detective sergeant, shocked by spotting Greville Janner, then a Labour MP, with a boy at a children’s home, summed up the crucial issue for #CSAinquiry:
“Because Janner had influence and was a member of Parliament, he was protected and could not be touched.”
“Because Janner had influence and was a member of Parliament, he was protected and could not be touched.”
And third, Operation Enamel searched Lord Janner’s home in 2013 and seized 84 items, several of which were of significance.
These included some notes from the Frank Beck investigation and other items “indicative of possible sexual relationships” with boys.
These included some notes from the Frank Beck investigation and other items “indicative of possible sexual relationships” with boys.
“Summary” by #CSAinquiry of closed session for Day 13 says that unnamed CPS director of legal services – but known to be Gregor McGill – returned to witness box and said that CPS stood by its view that it made mistakes re Operation Dauntless, in which Lord Janner was not charged.
On why Lord Janner was not prosecuted before 2015, Gregor McGill said that he was “satisfied that we have learnt from what went wrong in this case and put appropriate systems in place to ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” according to #CSAinquiry summary of closed session.
“Summary” by #CSAinquiry of closed session for Day 13 says that an unnamed detective inspector on Operation Magnolia in 2001 – but identified in published timetable as Kevin Yates – said that the SIO wanted to keep the investigation focussed on allegations at a children’s home.
Kevin Yates, who later became deputy SIO on Operation Magnolia, thought that the SIO (senior investigating officer) wanted to keep closely to its terms of reference “simply to avoid a much larger investigation,” according to #CSAinquiry summary of closed session.
Kevin Yates said that Greville Janner’s name arose in several statements and actions in Operation Magnolia.
These were marked as “pending”, he said, according to #CSAinquiry summary of closed session, “meaning they were awaiting a decision by the SIO.”
These were marked as “pending”, he said, according to #CSAinquiry summary of closed session, “meaning they were awaiting a decision by the SIO.”
Kevin Yates said that his predecessor as deputy SIO told him of the allegation about Greville Janner, according to #CSAinquiry summary of closed session.
He was told that the SIO was dealing with it and awaiting a decision, so he thought that it was an issue for chief officers.
He was told that the SIO was dealing with it and awaiting a decision, so he thought that it was an issue for chief officers.
Kevin Yates could specifically recall being told that the allegation against Greville Janner was in the SIO’s “bottom drawer”, says #CSAinquiry summary of his testimony today in closed session.
Kevin Yates “got the impression… that [Janner claim] was perhaps being put to one side, or certainly being held back until any decisions could be made about it,” says #CSAinquiry summary.
It was “fair to say that [it] wasn’t a line of enquiry that was being pursued actively.”
It was “fair to say that [it] wasn’t a line of enquiry that was being pursued actively.”
Was statement being put to one side because Greville Janner was a local MP?
Kevin Yates: “It would be easy to surmise that,” says #CSAinquiry summary.
“I don’t have any particular reason to think that, but it is obviously quite easy to draw that conclusion.”
Kevin Yates: “It would be easy to surmise that,” says #CSAinquiry summary.
“I don’t have any particular reason to think that, but it is obviously quite easy to draw that conclusion.”
Kevin Yates said that it was “fair comment”, says #CSAinquiry summary of his testimony today, to suggest that nothing was really done about Greville Janner at all during his time on Operation Magnolia.
There was a “lack of desire” among senior officers, said Kevin Yates, to pursue allegations against Greville Janner, according to #CSAinquiry summary of his testimony behind closed doors.
He said that “it would be difficult to defend a decision not to” pursue the allegations.
He said that “it would be difficult to defend a decision not to” pursue the allegations.
It was “hard not to be suspicious” that the allegations against Greville, later Lord, Janner had been “brushed under the carpet,” Kevin Yates said, according to #CSAinquiry summary of closed session.
Kevin Yates on lack of action on Janner: “The fact there is no policy decision, no record of discussions with chief officers, and.. the delay in the particular statement being moved through the system, it is hard to give any other explanation.” As recorded by #CSAinquiry summary.
“Summary” by #CSAinquiry of evidence in closed session for Day 13 says that the unnamed SIO of Operation Enamel – but identified in the published timetable as Matt Hewson – explained how it had carried out enquiries not completed during earlier investigations into Lord Janner.
A hotel worker came forward to Leicestershire Police in the wake of the DPP’s decision in April 2005 not to charge Lord Janner to say that she had seen him in bed with a teenage boy, Matt Hewson said, according to #CSAinquiry summary of his testimony in closed session.
“Summary” by #CSAinquiry closed session for Day 13 says that unnamed journalist and two people from Labour party in Leicestershire – but identified in published timetable as Mark D’Arcy, James Roberts and Peter Coleman respectively – also provided evidence.
The evidence of Mark D’Arcy, James Roberts and Peter Coleman concerned attempts to bring allegations about Lord Janner to the attention of people within the national and regional Labour party, according to #CSAinquiry summary of closed session.
A statement from Mark D’Arcy was read out, while James Roberts and Peter Coleman were called to testify.
But #CSAinquiry summary says: “It is not possible to provide an OPEN summary of their evidence.”
Here it is: iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/…
But #CSAinquiry summary says: “It is not possible to provide an OPEN summary of their evidence.”
Here it is: iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/…
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