The Stop HS2 campaign has issued a video message to Boris Johnson, expressing dismay that a decision could be made to approve HS2 before the outcome of the Serious Fraud Office Investigation, saying:
“It is absolutely incomprehensible that a decision could be made on HS2 without knowing if it has been fuelled by fraud.” and that “If the Serious Fraud Office were to find evidence of impropriety and malfeasance within HS2 Ltd, their contractors or the Civil Service, the Prime Minister would effectively offered him up as a human shield.”
It was reported as long ago as August that the Serious Fraud Office were investigating HS2, looking at allegations corruption in the award of contracts and defrauding home and landowners by deliberately undervaluing properties. Affidavits signed by former HS2 Ltd employees which have been supplied to the SFO make specific allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption.
Stop HS2 Campaign Manager Joe Rukin said
“It is a now matter of public record that parliament was deceived over the costs of HS2 for a number of years, whilst Oakervee has shown some of the fundamental principles of the project have always been known to be unachievable. It is now absolutely clear that HS2 is a project that has been promoted throughout by statements that have turned out not to be true, so it’s not unreasonable to want to know if the whole thing has been fuelled by fraud. If it is the case that the allegations are true, a decision to go ahead with the project would be sending out a message that it is open season, that scrutiny, that probity, that honesty, that none of those things matter.”
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