One of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s bodyguards has been arrested for alleged betting on the date of Britain’s national elections, which were made before they were declared, authorities said Wednesday.
According to the Metropolitan Police, an officer from the Royalty and Specialist Protection Command was arrested on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The arrest occurred when the Gambling Commission informed police. The commission that supervises the gambling industry acknowledged that it was looking into “the possibility of violations relating to the date of the election.”
On May 22, Mr Sunak stated that the general election would take place on July 4. The date was closely guarded, and the disclosure surprised many in Mr Sunak’s Conservative Party. Most of them expected the elections to take place in the fall.
Betting is a widespread pastime in the United Kingdom, with bookmakers giving odds on anything from sports to elections and literary prize winners. Cheating based on inside information is a criminal violation.
The detained officer has been released on bail pending further inquiry and has been relieved of duty while the police conduct their own investigation. The officer has not been named. In general, British police do not name suspects before charging them.
Craig Williams, a Sunak assistant and parliamentary re-election candidate, confessed last week that he was being investigated by the Gambling Commission for placing a 100-pound ($128) wager on the July elections before they were declared.
Mr Williams stated that the regulator was conducting “routine investigations, and I confirm that I will cooperate fully with them.” “I don’t want to be a distraction to the campaign, I should have thought about what this could mean ,” he replied.