The Pardon of John Haase: Howard's Achilles heel?

[muriel_volestrangler]

I don't think I've ever heard of this case before - apparently it's what's at the heart of the 'Labour is digging dirt with the Freedom of Information Act' allegations. I wish Private Eye had an index for the stories it covers - this sounds exactly like the kind of thing they do, and their frankness is always interesting.

Howard knows he will easily write off most of the attacks on him as so much historical tittle-tattle. His real concern, however, concerns an obscure file on two of Liverpool's most dangerous gangsters, John Haase and Paul Bennett, who were granted a royal pardon in July 1996 on Howard's orders.

Alarm bells were sounded at the time about the decision, which came only 11 months into 18-year sentences, not least by Liverpool MPs concerned about the safety of their constituents. Since then, the Labour MP for Liverpool Walton, Peter Kilfoyle, has led a one-man campaign for a full inquiry into the decision.

Unfortunately for Howard, events may already have overtaken him. This weekend, the Metropolitan police confirmed to The Observer that it is about to launch a major investigation into the 'circumstances leading up to the granting of a royal pardon for these individuals'. Channel 5 is due to broadcast a documentary on the issue, again putting it back into the public domain.

The Observer can reveal that Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, one of the most senior officers at Scotland Yard, has been assigned to the case and papers from Merseyside police have already been sent to his office. These detail devastating allegations of the perversion of the course of justice in which the Merseyside Police, HM Customs, the trial judge and the Home Secretary were all duped into believing Haase and Bennett had provided vital information about arms caches across Liverpool. The truth was that they could lead the police to the arms because they had arranged for them to be planted there themselves.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/conservatives/story/0,9061,1411983,00.html

and Nick Cohen commentary

To add to Howard's embarrassment, a cousin of his, Simon Bakerman, a small time drug dealer, is associated with Haase. Haase is now back in jail, and claiming he used bribes to get the pardon (not to Howard, though).

[Zuni]

1. This is the shadow PM?

Wow. I though Iain Duncan Smith was an ass

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Yes, he used to be Home Secretary in the last Tory government

in charge of police and prisons.

[fedsron2us]

3. Howard was a poor Home secretary

who did not enjoy the confidence of his civil servants. His shabby treatment of John Marriot and Derek Lewis following the escape of inmates from Parkhurst prison still leaves a bad taste to this day. There is probably a lot of dirt floating about in the government archives dating back to the Major era and quite a few public officials willing to dish it out to pay back their old boss for his betrayal. We can expect a veritable torrent of this stuff to be requested and released under the Freedom of Information Act in the run up to the next election. I suspect that by the date of the vote their may be quite a few Tories who will realise that Howards previous ministerial experience is more of a liablity than an asset.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/politics97/news/05/0513/widde.shtml
http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199495/cmhansrd/1995-10-19/Debate-6.html

edit for links