Press Release: Met Commissioner admits that first Daniel Morgan murder inquiry was “compromised” : 27th October 2005

At a meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority today the Commissioner of Police, Sir Ian Blair, admitted to the authority that “It is clear that the first MPS inquiry was compromised.”

The discussion was opened by Jennette Arnold, Alastair Morgan’s representative on the MPA who forcefully advocated the need for independent scrutiny of the case. MPA chair Len Duvall added that there are “still unanswered questions”.

"We’re delighted at the courageous and principled decision that the Metropolitan Police Authority took today” said the Morgan family.

The MPA decided unanimously to order the Commissioner of Police to prepare a report on the failure of four police investigations to resolve allegations of police involvement in the murder of the Welsh private investigator in 1987. The report will be followed by a review of the case papers by a QC appointed by the MPA.

“The Met Commissioner’s team put forward the authorised version of what took place in the investigations into Daniel’s murder” said Daniel Morgan’s brother Alastair after the meeting. “However, they took the foolish step of presenting alternative solutions verbally at the meeting when they’d had ample time to consider the matter in advance. The authority members were not impressed by a verbal suggestion being proposed at such a late stage. We would have rejected their proposals out of hand.”

MPA Chairman Len Duvall argued throughout that the Daniel Morgan murder was a special case and that he felt passionately that it required further scrutiny. The Morgan family is most grateful for his and his committee’s intervention and support after 18 years of evasion by the Home Office and other authorities.

Alastair Morgan