The Plod investigation into abuses of parliamentary expenses has now cost the taxpayer more than £840 000, as up to 13 officers have been working on cases since the scandal broke in May 2009- and the figures suggest the final bill for bringing errant MPs and peers to justice could exceed £1 million.
So far former Labour MPs David Chaytor, Eric Illsley and Jim Devine, and ex-Tory Lord Taylor of Warwick have been convicted of fiddling expenses, but the costs of bringing the prosecutions are not yet known, and Dibble are still examining other cases.
The bill up to the middle of last month was estimated at £840 000, of which some £820 000 of that was so-called "opportunity costs", where officers could have been used on other duties. Rozzer costs are not the only ones for cleaning up the corrupt system that was operating at Westminster.
The Commons authorities initially spent about £150 000 fighting disclosure of expenses details, and more than £2 million processing and censoring receipts after they finally admitted defeat.
MPs have repaid £1.2 million since May 2009- but that is roughly the same amount it cost to carry out the audit of their claims by Sir Thomas Legg.
So far former Labour MPs David Chaytor, Eric Illsley and Jim Devine, and ex-Tory Lord Taylor of Warwick have been convicted of fiddling expenses, but the costs of bringing the prosecutions are not yet known, and Dibble are still examining other cases.
The bill up to the middle of last month was estimated at £840 000, of which some £820 000 of that was so-called "opportunity costs", where officers could have been used on other duties. Rozzer costs are not the only ones for cleaning up the corrupt system that was operating at Westminster.
The Commons authorities initially spent about £150 000 fighting disclosure of expenses details, and more than £2 million processing and censoring receipts after they finally admitted defeat.
MPs have repaid £1.2 million since May 2009- but that is roughly the same amount it cost to carry out the audit of their claims by Sir Thomas Legg.
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