Police investigating MP over claims for his Colchester home (From Gazette)

Police investigating MP over claims for his Colchester home

4:54pm Friday 12th March 2010 in

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AN MP who claimed £70,000 in expenses by declaring a one-bedroom house in Colchester was his family home is reportedly being investigated by police.

Labour MP Harry Cohen is allegedly under investigation by the Metropolitan Police for designating the Old School House, in East Stockwell Street, as his main home, while it was rented out to tenants.

Scotland Yard has refused to say whether Mr Cohen is under investigation, only that a small number of MPs’ expenses cases are still being considered by police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Daily Telegraph said a criminal inquiry into the Leyton and Wanstead MP’s expenses claims has been launched and House of Commons authorities had been asked to hand over relevant documents.

In January, the House of Commons standards and privileges committee found Mr Cohen flouted the rules and should repay the funds from the £65,000 parliamentary resettlement grant for retiring MPs.

It also ordered the 60-year-old to make a public apology in the Commons for his claims.

Mr Cohen claimed thousands of pounds towards the cost of living in his east London constituency on the basis his main home was the former schoolhouse, which he bought in 1998.

He claimed the maximum £104,701 over five years by designating the Colchester property as his main home.

However, between April 2004 and August 2008, he let it out, collecting £2,837 in rent, which he failed to declare.

Mr Cohen, who has always denied any wrongdoing, did not return messages when contacted.

Neighbours in East Stockwell Street said they had not seen him for months. One resident, who did not wish to be named, said Mr Cohen’s wife was at the house last week.

He said: “She came up and was taking stuff out of the house in bin bags, but I didn’t see him. Three weeks before that, there was a light on.

Another neighbour said: “I haven’t seen him for ages.”