LONDON (AP) – Britain’s gambling regulator has alleged that five more police officers bet on the timing of the July 4 national election, the Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday, as claims widen that people close to the government used inside information for their own profit.
The Metropolitan Police said the Gambling Commission passed on information on the five officers’ alleged misconduct. The officers, who provided protection for royalty, politicians and diplomats, have not been arrested.
An investigation by the gambling watchdog is ongoing, police said.
The development comes after it emerged that several members of the governing Conservative Party and one of Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s police bodyguards were being investigated for allegedly using inside information to place bets on the date of the election before it was announced.
The bodyguard was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The scandal, coming just days ahead of the national election, has overshadowed the Conservatives’ campaign. The party is widely expected to lose to the opposition Labour Party after 14 years in power.
On Tuesday, the Conservative Party said it was pulling support for two election candidates, Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, who were under investigation by the Gambling Commission over the alleged betting. But because nominations have closed, both politicians will remain on the ballot paper.
