Smith accused on second home claims-LIVEJOURNAL

http://xabatmontgomery.livejournal.com/7509.html

A civil servant sacked for leaking embarrassing disclosures is planning to 

launch a private prosecution against Jacqui Smith, accusing her of expenses 

fraud.
Ms Smith claimed £116,000 in second home allowance on her family home 

in Redditch while listing a London house she shared with her sister as her 

main home.
But Christopher Galley, a former Home Office official, said the former 

Home Secretary was more often at the Worcestershire address.
He said: "We are accusing her of fraud by misrepresentation of her second 

home allowance. We are suggesting that her main residence is in Redditch 

and not her sister's home in Peckham."
Mr Galley and Tory immigration spokesman Damian Green were arrested 

over leaks of Home Office documents but neither was charged. Mr Galley 

was then sacked from his job in April following a disciplinary hearing. He 

has instructed Bark and Co solicitors and is to file a complaint with 

Westminster Magistrates Court accusing Ms Smith of fraud by 

misrepresentation, he said.
Mr Galley, who is now research director of the Sunlight Centre for Open 

Politics, a pressure group, is also using the Freedom of Information Act to 

request details of Ms Smith's appointment diary.
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards John Lyon is already investigating 

a complaint against her over her expenses.
Ms Smith could not immediately be contacted for comment.
When details of her claims became public, she denied any wrongdoing.
At the time she said: "I have tried to do what I think is the right thing for 

the taxpayer, for my ability to do my job as Home Secretary, for my family 

in terms of where they live. I think I have tried to do the right thing."