America

Sir Kim Darroch: Police launch probe into Trump email ‘leak’

The Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal investigation into the alleged leak of diplomatic emails from the UK ambassador in the US, which were critical of the Trump administration.

Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said there was a “clear public interest” in bringing those responsible to justice.

Sir Kim Darroch stepped down as ambassador on Wednesday, saying it was “impossible” for him to continue.

President Trump had earlier said the US would no longer deal with Sir Kim.

The US president branded him “a very stupid guy” after confidential emails emerged where the ambassador had called his administration “clumsy and inept”.

Sir Kim’s resignation prompted widespread support for him – as well as criticism of Tory leadership frontrunner Boris Johnson.

According to some Whitehall sources, Sir Kim decided to resign after Mr Johnson failed to fully support him during a TV debate on Tuesday night.

Mr Johnson said he had spoken to Sir Kim on Thursday to express his sadness over his resignation and the ambassador told him he had not watched the TV debate.

But on Friday, Mr Johnson told the BBC a “misrepresented” account of his remarks later relayed to Sir Kim had been “a factor” in his decision to step down.

Prime Minister Theresa May said Sir Kim’s departure was “a matter of deep regret” and public servants should be able to give “full and frank advice”.

Shadow foreign minister Liz McInnes said Sir Kim Darroch was “just doing his job” and the criminal investigation was “welcome”.

On Friday, President Trump said he wished the former ambassador well and that he had been told Sir Kim had actually said “some very good things” about him.

In the emails leaked to the Mail on Sunday, Sir Kim said: “We don’t really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable; less faction-riven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept.”

The emails, dating from 2017, said rumours of “infighting and chaos” in the White House were mostly true.
Announcing the criminal investigation, Mr Basu said he was satisfied the alleged leak had damaged UK international relations.

He urged whoever was responsible to turn themselves in and “face the consequences”.

“I would say to the person or people who did this, the impact of what you have done is obvious,” he said.

“However, you are now also responsible for diverting busy detectives from undertaking their core mission.”

Anyone with information about the alleged leak or those responsible should contact the police, he added.

He advised individuals and the media not to publish leaked government documents, warning this could be a criminal matter, and to instead hand them over to the police or return them to their rightful owner.

The investigation was launched by the Met Police Counter Terrorism Command, which takes national responsibility for investigating allegations of criminal breaches of the Official Secrets Act, Mr Basu said.

The government had already opened an internal inquiry into the publication of the memos.

 

Source: bbc.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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