Huhne and ex-wife to face charges (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Huhne and ex-wife to face charges

10:09am Friday 3rd February 2012 in National News © Press Association 2011

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne is to face prosecution over allegations that he asked his ex-wife to take a speeding penalty for him, Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer has announced.

The Liberal Democrat MP has been charged with perverting the course of justice after an investigation into the 2003 incident by Essex Police.

His former wife, the economist Vicky Pryce is also facing charges of perverting the course of justice. They are due to appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on February 16. The maximum sentence for perverting the course of justice is life in prison, the CPS and the Sentencing Council said.

The decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to press charges will place enormous pressure on Mr Huhne to quit his ministerial post and his membership of David Cameron's Cabinet. He is expected to announce his intentions shortly.

Downing Street has so far declined to say whether Mr Cameron - who is out of London on a regional visit - will sack the Energy Secretary and stage a reshuffle. Senior Liberal Democrat sources have indicated the postal affairs minister Mr Davey is being lined up to replace Mr Huhne in the Cabinet.

Mr Starmer said a criminal complaint was made to Essex Police in May 2011, alleging Ms Pryce had accepted responsibility for a speeding offence committed by Mr Huhne in 2003.

"That complaint was investigated by Essex Police and a file was passed to the CPS in late July 2011. The CPS advised that further investigations should be made, including obtaining certain material from a national newspaper," he said.

"Those further investigations were made and, in October 2011, an order was made for the newspaper to produce material to the police. The newspaper appealed that order, as it was entitled to do, but subsequently consented to producing the material in question just before the appeal was due to be heard, on 20 January this year.

"All the available evidence, including the new material, has now been carefully considered by the CPS and we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against Mr Huhne and Ms Pryce for perverting the course of justice.

"The essence of the charges is that between March and May 2003, Mr Huhne, having allegedly committed a speeding offence, falsely informed the investigating authorities that Ms Pryce had been the driver of the vehicle in question, and she falsely accepted that she was the driver."