Tory MP Chris Davies (pictured) has been interviewed by police under caution over claims he forged expenses receipts
Tory MP Chris Davies has been interviewed by police under caution over claims he forged expenses receipts, it can be revealed.
The ministerial aide was questioned by officers from the Metropolitan Police on Tuesday following allegations he fabricated invoices for furniture and photographs to decorate his constituency office.
Mr Davies, 50, told MailOnline he was cooperating with the investigation. ‘I am looking forward to having this resolved,’ he said.
The allegations were referred to Scotland Yard by the compliance officer of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) expenses watchdog in April.
Mr Davies, a ministerial aide at the Wales Office, is accused of forging two invoices adding up to £700 to get the claims past Ipsa officials in early 2016.
He is also said to have tried to get a member of his local association staff to submit one of the fake bills.
A letter from Conservative Party HQ to Brecon and Radnorshire MP Mr Davies, seen by The Mail on Sunday earlier this year, highlighted the ‘seriousness of the allegations’.
In a summary of the accusations, it says: ‘It appears you were concerned the invoice may be rejected as excessive.
‘Instead, to obtain the full amount of £700 by another route, you fabricated or arranged to be fabricated, two smaller invoices, one for £450 and the other for £250.’
It referred to claims that the invoices from Creative Photography Wales (CPW) allegedly fabricated by Mr Davies were for ‘furniture/pictures’ but in fact ‘CPW do not produce furniture’.
Mr Davies, an MP since 2015, is thought to have paid back £450 he received from Ipsa.
An entry in the latest annual report by Ipsa’s compliance officer said: ‘In April 2018, Ipsa were made aware of an allegation that an MP had submitted a false expense in relation to his Start Up costs budget in 2016.
‘Ipsa referred this to me, and I subsequently referred it on to the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service). The police investigation is currently ongoing.’
A Met spokeswoman said confirmed they had been alerted to allegations about ‘fraudulent expense claims submitted by an individual’.
‘The Special Enquiry Team launched an investigation in June 2018.
‘A 50-year-old man was voluntarily interviewed under caution on Tuesday, 17 July 2018. Enquiries continue.’
The allegations were referred to Scotland Yard by Parliament’s expenses watchdog in April