London police announced on Tuesday March 29 that they have imposed twenty fines for breaching anti-Covid rules following their investigation into “partygate”, parties organized in British power circles in full confinement. A scandal that had weakened the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
“We will start today to send twenty notices of fines for breaches of the regulations related to Covid-19”, Scotland Yard said in a statement without specifying who the sanctioned persons were. The events concerned were also not revealed, in order to avoid identifying the perpetrators of the offences.
A time considered to be on an ejection seat in January in the face of majority defections, Mr Johnson appears to have weathered the crisis, particularly in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But the conclusions of the police, who therefore consider that offenses have indeed taken place, could relaunch the case, especially if it were revealed that Mr. Johnson is directly targeted by a fine.
The investigation continues
Scotland Yard investigated a dozen rallies in 2020 and 2021. Boris Johnson is believed to have attended some of them.
The revelation of these sometimes festive events in places of power during the pandemic, when the British were asked to drastically reduce their social interactions to fight against the spread of Covid-19, has shaken the power.
Mr. Johnson, whose popularity fell sharply after this scandal, had made his mea culpa before the deputies but ruled out any resignation, relying on the conclusions of the police investigation.
The police have not completed their investigation into this case and have promised to put “everything” for it to progress ” quickly “. Further fines could follow if there is enough evidence of violations, police said.
