UPDATE: Djanogly private detective complaint dismissed
HUNTINGDON MP Jonathan Djanogly has been told there is no case to answer after being reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office over his use of private detectives.
HUNTINGDON MP Jonathan Djanogly has been told there is no case to answer after being reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office over his use of private detectives.
The Information Commissioner’s Office issued a statement following claims by Labour MP, John Mann.
The Huntingdon MP admitted using detectives to investigate aides and colleagues two years ago in a bid to discover the source of leaks about his expenses claims. When news of the private detectives first broke in September last year, he said the investigators had assured him their work had been carried in an “entirely lawful manner”.
But Mr Mann claimed this week that investigators used “improper methods”, including “blagging” to obtain information, and called for Mr Djanogly to resign.
However, an ICO spokesman said: “We have today written to John Mann MP to confirm that his complaint will not be taken forward. The matters raised by Mr Mann do not appear to represent recorded personal information as covered by the Data Protection Act.
“A potential breach of section 55 – the Act’s ‘blagging’ offence – does not therefore arise.”
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Mr Djanogly added: “I am pleased that the Information Commissioner has dismissed this politically-motivated claim and confirmed that no grounds exist for an inquiry.”
INFORMATION: Blagging addresses, phone bills, bank statements and health records - obtaining them without the owners consent - has been illegal since 1994, although there is a defence of doing it in the public interest.
