Election fraud invesigation pre-charge advice sought and case dropped

The firm’s Serious and Complex Crime Team were instructed to advise and represent an individual being investigated for election fraud in the local council elections in the Thames Valley Home Counties area.

These were serious allegations that carry custodial sentences if charged and successfully convicted and can ruin a person’s career and future prospects in politics. In cases involving any irregularity in elections, the full weight of the law is applied and resources are spent in the pre-charge investigation as the notion of our democratic values being undermined and corrupted are quite rightly abhorrent in any liberal Western democratic society.

Having liaised with the police on behalf of our client, we were able to negotiate a voluntary surrender on a specific date and time rather than have our client face the prospect of an unannounced dawn raid arrest at his home or work place. We obtained disclosure and having conducted a pro-active defence, we were able to offer pragmatic legal advice and representation to our client.

We felt at the time that there was insufficient evidence against our client and advised him not to answer questions in the interview. We were also able to make representations to the police about the investigation and the evidence and as a result, the case was dropped against our client.

Often lay clients are under the false impression that if they have not done anything wrong, they should “tell the truth” to the police as they have “nothing to hide” or if they do not answer questions in interview and exercise their right of silence,  the police will assume guilt and charge them. These are all genuine beliefs and misconceptions that we come across from lay clients on a regular basis. It can also be very daunting for a lay client to sit in a long police station interview and answer “no comment” to all questions put to them however simple or straightforward the questions may appear to be.

Clients need supportive, understanding and resilient criminal defence solicitors during police interviews. At MPR solicitors, we take time to talk through the interview process with our clients and warn them of the pitfalls and how to deal with police interviews. We are always present with our clients during the interview process and will intervene if necessary if the line of questioning becomes oppressive or unnecessary thereby protecting the rights of our clients and advancing their case.

If you would like more information as to how MPR solicitors can assist you or can make a difference in a complex or serious fraud case, then please contact us on 020 3824 8080 or email us at law@mprsolicitors.co.uk and we will be happy to discuss your case in complete confidence during an initial consultation with one of our expert fraud solicitors.