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Is it OK to break the law if you are a Tory?

(338 Posts)
CvD66 Mon 16-Jan-23 13:12:20

In 1987 Lester Pigott was imprisoned for tax evasion of £3m. Nadhim Zahawi (former chancellor) is having to pay back £3m used a tax evasion process incorrectly. He lied about this process and instructed lawyers to threaten a tax lawyer, who exposed him. Zahawi should resign and then face criminal charges both for the tax evasion and threats. But he’s a Tory….and the BBC aren’t even covering his crime.

ronib Wed 25-Jan-23 18:16:12

MaizieD just going out. The court threw out the case immediately did not even get a hearing!

ronib Wed 25-Jan-23 18:24:23

MaizieD hacked emails? Available to read ?

Whitewavemark2 Wed 25-Jan-23 19:03:00

MaizieD

ronib

Casdon my reading of this situation is that it was a matter of compliance and money laundering regulations as the Russian in question had been exiled abroad. I think he wanted to sue for libel against a journalist and it was to do with the transfer of funds. This is when the government department and not Mr Sunak became involved I imagine. I doubt that the merits or desirability of the court case for libel would have been a consideration at the department.

That’s my best understanding at the moment. If you have any influence in the Labour Party, please try to get David Miliband on board!

Was that the same thing that I mentioned in my 15.34 post?

If it is, it was a Treasury department and Sunak was Chancellor at the time. So completely responsible.

Yes that is what I was just going to post. Meant to do it earlier on but busy.

Sunak was chancellor and given the sensitivity of the situation would certainly have known about it, or at least run it past the friend of the KGB.

Dinahmo Wed 25-Jan-23 21:39:56

MaizieD

Thank's for that Dinahmo

When I checked the govt. website earlier I noted that the lowest rate charged is 8.5%. I don't recall the higher rates. Wasn't this part of last year's tax increases, supposedly to pay for Health and Social Care?

Someone whose only source of income was £100k salary would pay £27432 income tax (not taking into account NIC).

Of course, there's no NIC paid on dividend income (NIC s were also increased last year, weren't they?)

Yes to your comments about increases in rates for the current year. I used 2021/22 rates because I'm immersed in tax returns at the moment.

ronib Wed 25-Jan-23 22:32:49

Re Sunak
1. Section 1 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 applies to the hacked emails obtained by Open Democracy. Hacked information is not admissible in court.

2. What is the political affiliation of Open Democracy? Where are they based?

3. Seems obvious to me that Dominic Raab, Justice Sec, acted appropriately to bring in legislation to
prevent a reoccurrence of oligarchs and corporations attempting to silence journalists.

4. I don’t believe that only Mr Sunak was responsible for handling the situation with the Wagner group once Giles Thomson presented evidence.

5. In any event the court here threw out the case.

6. We need a full explanation!

7. I am tempted to think what is good for the goose etc and wonder how easy it is to hack into Open Democracy!

MaizieD Wed 25-Jan-23 23:31:29

I don’t believe that only Mr Sunak was responsible for handling the situation with the Wagner group once Giles Thomson presented evidence.

I'm not saying that he personally handled it. Just that as Chancellor the Treasury was part of his responsibilities and he was ultimately responsible for all that it did.

ronib Thu 26-Jan-23 07:48:36

Just written to my mp about Open Democracy and the ability of hackers to enter government computer systems. Seems remarkable to me that this is even happening. This is extremely concerning for the safety of government and of us all.

MaizieD Thu 26-Jan-23 08:56:06

ronib

Just written to my mp about Open Democracy and the ability of hackers to enter government computer systems. Seems remarkable to me that this is even happening. This is extremely concerning for the safety of government and of us all.

Did you actually read the Open Democracy article I linked to?

You have been too hasty in writing to your MP, who probably won't have a clue what you are talking anout.

The vast cache of hacked emails and documents from one of Russia’s biggest law firms was made available to openDemocracy and The Intercept via a third party. The unsorted files were first provided to a US non-profit called Distributed Denial of Secrets, which makes them available to anyone with the necessary expertise.

They lay bare the incredible ease with which one of the world’s most notorious warmongers was able to use the UK legal system to try and further his aims, even while sanctioned.

www.opendemocracy.net/en/prigozhin-government-russia-ukraine-hack-libel-slapp/

ronib Thu 26-Jan-23 09:35:39

MaizieD yes I know. He can have fun finding out!

ronib Thu 26-Jan-23 09:50:16

MaizieD just sent mp a correction. Still worried about Open Democracy and this whole episode from a lot of angles.

MaizieD Thu 26-Jan-23 11:16:12

ronib

MaizieD just sent mp a correction. Still worried about Open Democracy and this whole episode from a lot of angles.

What's wrong with Open Democracy? They do investigative journalism.

Public servants (which, of course, includes MPs and government ministers) are paid to work for the UK, not for sanctioned Russians and their lawyers.

ronib Thu 26-Jan-23 11:41:48

MaizieD I don’t think we’re are going to understand each other so best not try.