British Prime Minister Boris Johnson may face a fresh criminal probe into his relationship with Jennifer Arcuri after the US businesswoman agreed to hand over her diaries to an ethics watchdog, according to The Observer.
The newspaper reported that the 36-year-old had allowed the Greater London Authority (GLA) to inspect parts of her diaries, which detailed her affair with the PM while he was mayor of London.
"I am prepared to show you or your investigators copies of the relevant pages. However, I currently reside in the United States, so it would mean you or they [the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)] travelling here for that purpose. In that event, I would also be prepared to be interviewed, if that assists", Arcuri reportedly wrote in an email to GLA monitoring officer Emma Strain.
An alternative posed by Arcuri is to authorise veteran journalist John Ware to share the relevant diary passages with the GLA. Last week, it was Ware who disclosed Arcuri's diary excerpts for The Observer, revealing how Johnson tried to promote the tech entrepreneur's business interests to win her affection.
Boris Johnson, then-Mayor of London, speaks with Jennifer Arcuri at an event organised by her company, Innotech, in London on 30 October 2013.
© Photo : Facebook/Jennifer Arcuri
According to one cited entry, Johnson said to the US businesswoman who dubbed him "Alex the Great": "How can I be the thrust – the throttle – your mere footstep as you make your career? Tell me: how I can help you?"
Another entry asserts that BoJo, who was ostensibly pursuing a sexual relationship with the businesswoman, told her: "I can barely control myself whenever I see you. You make me too excited. Baby I couldn't wait. All year I have been waiting for you. All year. You drove me nuts. I have thought about no woman as I have thought of you".
The Observer argued that the 36-year-old's decision to collaborate with the GLA, especially agreeing to be interviewed for the first time, reopens the prospect of Johnson being investigated for a potential criminal offence of misconduct in public office.
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In a previous probe by the IOPC in 2019, the police watchdog concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that Johnson influenced the payment of thousands of pounds of public money to Arcuri''s business and no criminal inquiry was required.
At the same time, the IOPC said that it "would have been wise" for the former mayor to have declared their "close association" as a conflict of interest.
Johnson, for his part, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, claiming he acted with "honesty and integrity" in his business relationship with the US entrepreneur.
'Sleaze' Scandal
The latest developments come against the backdrop of the so-called "sleaze" scandal surrounding the embattled Tory MP Owen Paterson earlier this month. The lawmaker was accused of "repeatedly" breaking the House of Commons' lobbying rules over his paid consultancy work on behalf of two companies that earned him more than £500,000 ($682,882).
The British government and the prime minister faced a backlash after they tried to prevent a 30-day suspension imposed by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone on Paterson by winning a vote in favour of the disgraced MP last week.
Harsh criticism from opposition MPs and some Tories, however, prompted the government to reverse its decision on Paterson's suspension, followed by the lawmaker himself announcing his resignation.