A former conservative legislator and another 14 were accused of cheating when betting at the time of Great Britain’s general elections last year, the game commission said Monday.
Craig Williams was one of several people who had been investigated to collect internal knowledge about the date on which the then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would call the elections. Other members of the Conservative Party who controlled the Government at that time and a police officer were among those who face Chares who carry a possible two -year prison period, if it is declared guilty.
It is legal for politicians to bet on the elections, but the investigation was about whether they used privileged information to obtain an unfair advantage. One of the popular bets at that time was to bet on the date on which the prime minister would call an election.
At that time, the conventional wisdom was that Sunak would call an election in autumn, but surprised people in May when he established the date of the elections for July 4. The announcement was a disaster since Sunak was soaked in the rain poured out of his residence and the voice quickly spread that a handful of people with connections with the party had put suspiciously timed bets.
The vote six weeks later ended up being a bloodbath for conservatives, since the Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, swept their position for the first time in 14 years.
Williams, who was Sunak’s parliamentary private secretary and run for re -election, had revealed that he made a commitment of 100 pounds ($ 131) in the July elections days before the date was announced.
“I made an error of judgment, not a crime, and I want to reiterate my apology directly to you,” he said in a video posted on social networks in June.
In the elections, Williams lost his seat representing an area of Wales, ending third.
Other positions faced
Anthony Lee, a former conservative campaign director, was also accused with his wife, Laura Saunders, who run out of success for a seat in Parliament that represents an area of the southwest of England.
George was suspended by the conservative party after the news of the criminal case.
“The conservative party believes that those who work in politics must act with integrity,” said the party spokesman. “The current members of the personnel who have been accused are being suspended with immediate effect.”
