Home Office whistleblower sacked for exposing failures

Published on Friday 24 April 2009 22:07

THE civil servant at the centre of a Whitehall leak inquiry was sacked yesterday.

Christopher Galley, a junior official in the Home Office, lost his job following a disciplinary hearing.

Mr Galley and Damian Green, the Tory immigration spokesman, were arrested by police investigating leaks from the department but were told last week they would not face charges.

Mr Galley was suspended on full pay after his arrest in November but disciplinary proceedings were put on hold while the criminal investigation was concluded.

The 26-year-old admitted leaking four documents, including one which revealed thousands of illegal immigrants were given clearance to work in the security industry.

After he learned he would not face charges, Mr Galley was defiant about his actions, claiming he leaked the documents because he was shocked at the incompetence he discovered.

"I did it because what I saw happening was wrong," he said.

Sir David Normington, the most senior civil servant at the Home Office, has written to officials in the department reminding them of their duty to work for whoever is in government.

The letter says: "When we sign up to work in the civil service, we agree to work to the best of our ability for the democratically elected government of the day.

"It is not for any civil servant to put his or her personal preferences of political opinion ahead of that duty."

Last week, Mr Galley said the police officers who arrested him said he faced life imprisonment.

He said police accused him of being part of a network of moles and demanded that he "named names".

A week ago, Keir Starmer, the director of public prosecutions, said the string of leaks were not damaging enough to require criminal charges.

Mr Starmer rejected the suggestion by senior civil servants that the leaks damaged national security.

He said the leaked information, including the revelation that an illegal immigrant had been employed as a cleaner in the Commons, was already widely known as well as being in the public interest.

The Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, defended the police search, saying it would have been "irresponsible" not to have taken action. Mr Green, however, insisted he was simply doing his job.

"As immigration spokesman, it's my role to expose the failings of government immigration policy," he said.

"That's why ministers were so embarrassed."

Mr Green also said police searched his private e-mail account in his Parliamentary office looking for references to Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, the human rights group.

Mr Green was questioned for nine hours and had his homes and Commons office searched after being arrested.

The five-month inquiry reportedly cost 5 million.