Another MP believed to be facing investigation over expenses

Published on Thursday 11 March 2010 00:11

ANOTHER Labour MP is reported to be under police investigation over his parliamentary expenses.

The Metropolitan Police is believed to have launched a criminal inquiry into Leyton and Wanstead MP Harry Cohen after he claimed about 70,000 for a second home while renting out his main residence.

Three other Labour MPs and a Conservative peer are today expected to make their first appearance in court charged with theft by false accounting in relation to their allowances.

The Metropolitan Police said at the time of their charging that "a small number of cases" relating to parliamentary expenses remained under consideration.

But Scotland Yard last night refused to say whether Mr Cohen was one of those under investigation or how many cases were still being looked at.

A spokesman said: "We have never confirmed or denied any individuals' names."

The Met reportedly approached Commons authorities over recent weeks asking for documentation relating to Mr Cohen's claims. There was no immediate response last night to a request for comment from Mr Cohen.

Between 2004 and 2009, Mr Cohen registered a property in Colchester as his main home and claimed parliamentary expenses on a "second home" in his constituency.

In January, the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee said that Mr Cohen committed a "particularly serious" breach of expenses rules by living almost exclusively in the east London house while renting out the Colchester house. He was ordered to apologise and stripped of the 65,000 resettlement grant he would have received when he stands down from parliament at this year's election.

MPs Elliot Morley of Scunthorpe, David Chaytor of Bury North and Livingston's Jim Devine were to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court today alongside Conservative peer Lord Hanningfield.