Judge calls for radical action at Customs

17 Jul 03
Customs & Excise's prosecution arm should become entirely independent to help to restore confidence after the fiasco of the London City Bond trial, a Treasury review concluded this week. Justice Butterfield was commissioned to conduct the inquiry aft.

18 July 2003

Customs & Excise's prosecution arm should become entirely independent to help to restore confidence after the fiasco of the London City Bond trial, a Treasury review concluded this week.

Justice Butterfield was commissioned to conduct the inquiry after a series of trials over alleged diversions of duty-free alcohol to the home market finally collapsed last November.

In January, a similar case fell apart, leaving taxpayers with a £100m bill for legal costs.

Butterfield said he found no evidence that customs officers committed or incited fraud, contrary to allegations that they sought improperly to entrap defendants.

But he said: 'It is clear that a number of things went badly wrong. [This includes] the absence of a strategic approach to excise diversion frauds, poor communications, serious deficiencies in the handling of informants and failure to comply with disclosure obligations.'

Butterfield said he had been forcibly struck by the 'negative perception of Customs & Excise in the criminal justice community'. He said this could be solved only 'by radical action', with a complete separation of customs' investigative and prosecuting roles.

The latter should become an independent service under the attorney general Lord Goldsmith.

Among customs officers, the judge found 'a deep-seated desire to regain their reputation so that they were able to operate in an atmosphere where their word was trusted by both the courts and those representing defendants'.

Goldsmith said that the government 'strongly agreed' with the concept of independent prosecutors but did not pledge to implement this.

A full government response is due in the autumn.


PFjul2003

Did you enjoy this article?

AddToAny

Top