I have to be very careful here, but to keep things on course some facts may reassure some people that due process has been followed:
- Any irregularity that could, at first sight, appear to be a serious service offence has been thoroughly investigated without fear or favour.
- The investigation was not confined to the members of the team at the time.
- The investigation did look at the actions of the senior leadership over an extended timeline.
- The investigation did look at those who had left the Service.
- The decision to charge or to take disciplinary action would have been made at the correct level and did include the Service Prosecuting Authority.
- The matter was referred to Dominic Grieve.
- The SI provided grounds for an investigation, nothing more. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. The correct people have made the decisions and we must trust their decisions. We must not infer any guilt on any party just by the mere existence of an investigation.
-The thoroughness of the investigation (however painful) should give us confidence, not erode it.
The SI did what it was directed to do; nothing more and nothing less. It was rightly commended by the DG MAA.