Jonathan Aitken is a former Tory cabinet minister and he examines the evidence in his London sitting room before making a courageous decision.
Because of how shocking the information was, he decided to speak out, no matter the criticisms or attention.
For today we can reveal that Aitken — now an Anglican vicar — was wrongly implicated in Scotland Yard’s shambolic VIP sex abuse inquiry, after detectives secretly investigated him over monstrous claims of sexual misconduct.
Jonathan Aitken is pictured here in London. Now a Anglican vicar, Jonathan was wrongly indicted by Scotland Yard in its scandalous VIP sexual abuse inquiry
Aitken’s accuser was a paedophile, with a terrible criminal record. He told a bunch of lies about the abuse he and others had suffered, such as former Home Secretary Leon Brittan and former PM Sir Edward Heath, and former Tory MP Harvey Proctor.
Aitken, however, was not notified of his own police investigation nor that personal belongings taken from his house had been used to support his claims.
The Mail revealed the truth to him when it presented our findings in an extensive investigation of the failures of the Metropolitan Police’s VIP abuse inquiry (codenamed Operation Midland).
A confidential document from the Mail reveals the claims made against Aitken. It outlines how Witness A, a serial liar and witness to many crimes, came forward to support the tale of Carl ‘Nick’ Beech’s fantasist claims that were at the core of Operation Midland.
A six-year secret Met police report reveals that Aitken was also implicated in this case.
It also discloses how the former politician’s accuser was caught in possession of stolen items — believed to have been taken in a burglary at Aitken’s house in the 1990s.
However, unlike Carl Beech (who was in jail for 18 years), Witness A is not being prosecuted. They refused to explain their failure to act.
After seeing our evidence, today Mr Aitken charges Cressida’s Force with an “institutional coverup” over this case.
Insisting on an in-depth investigation, he stated that the scandal was one of the worst episodes of modern policing. It is shocking to me that the Met continues its cover-up.
Witness A was the man who claimed he was an elementary school-age “rent boy” when he attended a “gay party” hosted by a well-known musician and was attended by politicians
A bombshell Scotland Yard report titled Document 1794 contains the claims against Aitken, and it has been seen by The Mail.
The document was made on closing Operation Midland. It was written by Steve Rodhouse who was then the officer in charge and promoted to the post of deputy head at Britain’s National Crime Agency.
One section entitled “Allegations Against Jonathan Aitken” is one of many revelations in Document 1794.
The witnesses state that Witness A has alleged that Aitken participated in group sex/rape in London with Harvey Proctor, Leon Brittan and others.
He also said in an interview that after having sex at Jonathan Aitken’s country house, Aitken stole his father’s passport.
According to the report, Witness A concealed his passport over many years and gave it police in 2015. He said that it was just one of many items of property he had taken from people who had been abusive to him. The ring was also claimed by Witness A that he had stolen from Harvey Proctor.
Aitken’s claims are in Document 1794 (a Scotland Yard bombshell internal report) that was written about Operation Midland closing by Steve Rodhouse (second from the left).
According to the document, “Officers sought to determine the history of these items as they clearly have the potential for proving that Witness A was in contact with Proctor or Aitken.”
Although the forensic test failed to connect the ring with Proctor, the passport was proven to be issued to Aitken by his father.
In separate proceedings, the City of London Police stopped Witness A in 2005. They found Witness A with a driver’s license, Jonathan Aitken membership card, and some jewellery.
Scotland Yard refused to answer six questions by the Mail regarding the false allegations against Mr Aitken and its inability to investigate A/B and the role played by Met chief Dame Cressida (pictured).
Document 1794 says that Midland officers did not later make any inquiries regarding the property.
Sections of the Aitken investigation concluded with the bizarre line: “To date, Op Midland officers have not approached Aitken’s family to inquire about this line.”
We contacted Witness A to discuss his claims, based on what Document 1794 showed.
By showing a picture of his passport on his smartphone, he was able confirm that the passport had been with him before.
However, his testimony did not support the tale he told Operation Midland detectives about him in many important details.
A leaked confidential police document to the Mail contained the allegations against Aitken. This documents reveals how Witness A was able to confirm the story about Carl “Nick” Beech (pictured).
It is possible to wonder what caused these discrepancies.
Witness A stated that he was an elementary school-age “rent boy” when, in 1979/80, he attended a Hampstead ‘gay party”. The event was hosted by a well-known musician and was attended by politicians.
Aitken was there when he said that he had met him. He and another rent boy returned to Aitken’s house and ‘did the deed’. [had sex].
He said it was the custom of rent boys to steal clients’ property ‘in order for blackmail. [them] at a later date. . In those days, homosexuality and being a politician were not considered desirable.
Witness A said that the Aitken items were his for many decades.
“Eventually, they were too much for me. Homosexual consent was no longer required. Society was moving on. I’d forgotten what I did previously.
The accuser of Aitken told lies about the alleged abuse he and other Tory MP Harvey Proctor had committed.
“I arranged for a meeting in the summer 2005. [Aitken]To hand over my stolen items, I went to Parliament Square.
Witness A informed the Mail that he had been detained in London by police for using abusive language and was unable to return the stolen goods to Aitken.
The items that belonged to Aitken were discovered while he was being searched. The items included passes for Houses of Commons or Lords, as well as a necklace and earrings made of diamonds.
Witness A said that he just found them, and planned to turn them in.
He stated that they released him after one hour. I reckoned they phoned someone and thought “f*** this”. It was a surprise to me.
“Then, ten year later, they knocked on my door.” They hadn’t forgotten about it.
Witness A stated that in 2015 officers of a provincial force, who had been monitoring him for sex offences, told him Operation Midland was looking to interview him regarding the Aitken articles.
He was asked by the Midland officers what evidence he could provide. The officers asked Mr Aitken what other evidence he had. He presented his passport.
Aitken’s accuser made allegations against Sir Edward Heath, former Prime Minister (pictured).
Witness A spoke out about the significance of Carl Beech’s possession of stolen goods and said that Carl Beech lied. There was proof that I didn’t lie.
‘As soon as the news broke about their plans to charge me with perverting the course justice, I was contacted by a high ranking police officer who said that if they came to arrest me they should call me. Because I had evidence. [that you were telling the truth].’
It was, however, a ‘proof of any other theft’?
It was clear that Aitken is not the same ‘well-known musician’ he said he met at his Hampstead home. He did, however, move to North London several years later.
After being told all about Document 1794, and having seen Witness A’s photo of the passport document on his phone. Mr Aitken vigorously denied any allegations against him.
Witness A was not aware that he existed and he claimed a meeting with him had been made.
Then, how do you explain Witness A’s possession of the items?
Aitken, who is 79 years old, said to the Mail, “This is extremely intriguing, and it has begun ringing a bell. My old constituency had a gorgeous house in Sandwich Kent.
I was made Minister of Defence in 1992. The Ministry of Defence began to worry about my domestic security arrangements.
“They demanded that my house be upgraded with protective equipment such as CCTV cameras.
The irony is that it was only weeks after the work was completed that the house was burglarized. My government duties in Oman required me to be absent.
‘There was a big flap at the MoD because they thought there might have been a massive security breach — secret state papers taken etcetera.
“It was embarrassing and I remember the security service getting involved.”
As it was, Aitken recalled, the thieves didn’t get away with much — just ‘a few items’ such as a silver inkstand that had belonged to his great-grandfather, a coat and chequebooks. Later, Aitken recalled that a woman tried to use one the Canterbury-issued cheques.
Witness A is asked his opinion about Witness A’s possession of the items. He says that there was a drawer under my desk, in which he stored Aitken family papers as well as other documents. This could be the place and time these items were stolen.
He stated that he cannot recall any police officers returning these items to him in 2005 when they were discovered on Witness A.
After Witness A had given his father’s travel document in 2015, Operation Midland officers did not approach him.
Aitken said, “I don’t know why they wouldn’t do this,”
“I had a good relationship with Leon Brittan’s wife Diana and have been following Operation Midland very closely.” It’s one of the most devastating and embarrassing incidents in contemporary policing.
“I met Leon just before his death and could see the damage that being so suspicious had caused to him during his last days.
The police did not take the time to investigate this incident. [the accusers]These public figures are serious enough to ruin their reputations, but I don’t know how. They were clearly desired by the police [the VIPs]You are guilty.
« And the man in command [DAC Rodhouse] kept getting promoted! Unbelievable!’
Aitken claimed he didn’t have anything to hide, and encouraged the Mail name him in order to demonstrate how flawed Operation Midland was.
A devastating statement was also written by him: “I congratulate Mail for publishing new, deeply troubling revelations about Operation Midland.”
“This episode has been among the most scandalous in modern police history. The Met’s cover up is not over.
Thanks to the Mail’s discovery, I now realize that I was also targeted as a fantasist and sex offenders whose identities are protected.
Aitken also accused Lord Leon Brittan, a former British Cabinet minister.
He is only known as “A”. They are being encouraged by Met senior officers to emulate Carl Beech’s baseless fantasies, which were used to persecute innocent people like my friend Leon Brittan and Field Marshal Lord Bramall.
“But here’s the thing. Messrs. “A” and”B” made false accusations. [of murder, rape, child abuse]Against public figures. Surprisingly, the police didn’t contact me about A’s ridiculous allegations.
They also did not disclose that A gave them valuable property like my father’s passport, the cathedral pass, and other items which were taken from me in a home invasion some years ago.
“Why has the police kept this information secret?”
‘Today I am echoing Judge Richard Henriques’s surprise that these fantasists, A and B, haven’t been charged like Beech.
“Above all they have also made serious false accusations of murder, child abuse and rape against public figures.
“The Met still covers up Operation Midland’s entire operation.
“I support Judge Henriques’s recent demand that an additional police force be brought in to investigate this ongoing scandal.”
Many share the deep concerns of Mr Aitken. Scotland Yard was not available to discuss six questions that were posed by the Mail. These included false allegations against Mr Aitken’s, the failure of the Met to investigate A and A, as well as the role played by Met chief Cressida.
One can only speculate why the scandal is getting worse.
Simon Trump provides additional reporting