The case of Conservative lawmaker, David Warburton, has been referred to MI6, the UK's spy service, amid concerns that the accusations against him of consuming cocaine and harassing three women might have been part of a "stitch up" by an unnamed foreign power, The Telegraph has reported citing anonymous "conservative sources". The sources pointed to the allegations against Warburton being accompanied by "photographic and video evidence", one of which showed the MP purportedly sitting next to lines of cocaine.
The case was referred to the spy agency out of an abundance of caution, but MI6 has not yet started looking into it, the newspaper said. The British security service has already warned lawmakers that they might be tricked into "entrapment" by foreign powers and that Warburton's case might be investigated for links to a "foreign Communist party", the Daily Mail reported in turn.
The notion that Warburton might have fallen for a honeypot scheme set up by a foreign government sparked backlash by fellow Tory MP and the chair of the British Parliament's Women and Equalities Committee - Caroline Nokes. She cautioned against any attempts to whitewash Warburton, who is currently under investigation by parliament's Independent Complaints and Grievances Scheme (ICGS), by painting him a "victim" in this situation.
"Victims have to have confidence to come forward with allegations and complaints and to know that they will be investigated effectively and swiftly. It's imperative that this is reported in the light of those allegations, rather than trying to cast Mr Warburton as a victim", Nokes said referring to the three women who accused the lawmaker of inappropriate behaviour.
Amid all the allegations against him and the "severe shock and stress" caused by them, Warburton was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, his wife and communications manager, Harriet Warburton, stated, noting that the whole situation "has been sheer hell".
The scandal erupted after a series of photos, messages, and audio recordings emerged on 2 April, implying that Warburton had taken class-A narcotics and made unwanted advances towards two former female aides in the House of Commons and one unnamed woman he allegedly met two months ago.
One recording suggested that the MP asked the third woman to order cocaine, when he visited her house, claiming that £160 for two grams was "quite good" value. The woman also said in her accusations that after taking drugs Warburton took off his clothes and jumped into her bed, rubbing himself against her despite the woman clearly stating that she did not want sex with him. She did not report the incident to the police immediately.
Two former Commons aides, in turn, claimed that Warburton grabbed them by the thighs, kissed their forehead, and "pressurised them into drinking more alcohol than they wanted".
The ICGS and the Conservative Whips' Office are both investigating the allegations against the lawmaker and have not yet decided what to do about them. However, Warburton's Conservative whip has been suspended and he was advised against showing up to parliament.
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