Tony Blair paper implicated by note in scandal

January 28th, 2007

London, England - Police detectives in Britain have discovered a hand-written note from Tony Blair that implicates him in the cash-for-honors scandal engulfing his administration.

Britain's Telegraph newspaper is reporting that the note is understood to acknowledge the efforts of Labour's 12 secret lenders who provided £14 million (approx. $25 million) to help the party fight the 2005 election.

The note was among a batch of Downing Street papers obtained by police detectives.

It was written by the Prime Minister in ink on typed, internal government papers.

Scotland Yard now believes that Downing Street intended to give working peerages to most of the lenders including Sir Christopher Evans, a multi-millionaire entrepreneur, who is the only lender arrested as part of the 10-month inquiry.

Detectives are preparing a dossier that seeks to prove criminal intent: that at least some of the loans were linked directly to the promise of a peerage.

The Sunday Telegraph revealed last week that detectives had to "hack" into Downing Street computers in their search for evidence.

That came after officers became convinced that emails and other evidence had been withheld amid suspicions of a "cover-up".

Detectives do not necessarily think there is sufficient evidence to bring charges against the Prime Minister. But he is increasingly likely to be called as a witness if charges are brought against senior aides.

A spokesperson for Mr. Blair denied the existence of an incriminating document written by the Prime Minister.