Huawei leak: Sacked Gavin Williamson blasts ‘shabby witch hunt’ and demands ‘proper’ leak investigation after cops say no crime was committed
Police say details of a secret meeting passed to the media did not breach the Official Secrets Act
SACKED Gavin Williamson has demanded a "full and proper" investigation into Huawei leak - calling the Cabinet probe that ended his career a "shabby witch hunt".
It comes hours after Scotland Yard confirmed the leak from a secret Whitehall meeting did not amount to a criminal offence - piling more pressure on Theresa May.
Mr Williamson - who denies being the leaker - was sacked as defence secretary by Theresa May after a Cabinet Office probe pointed the finger at him.
Today he called the search by Britain's top civil servant Mark Sedwill a "shabby and discredited witch hunt".
And he demanded a "proper, full and impartial" investigation to clear his name, Sky News reports.
Mr Williamson said: "With the Metropolitan Police not willing to do a criminal investigation, it is clear a proper, full and impartial investigation needs to be conducted on this shabby and discredited witch hunt that has been so badly mishandled by both the prime minister and Mark Sedwill."
The row follows a leak from a National Security Council meeting on whether to allow Chinese firm Huawei to help build the 5G network.
The Daily Telegraph reported five ministers had objected on security grounds but the PM overruled them.
Today Met Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said the details disclosed to the media did not "contain information that would breach the Official Secrets Act".
He said: "I have considered all the information available to me and I have taken legal advice.
"I am satisfied that the disclosure did not amount to a criminal offence, either under the Official Secrets Act or Misconduct in a Public Office.
"No crime has been committed and this is not a matter for the police."
According to reports in the Daily Telegraph, ministers had expressed concern that Huawei's involvement might provide a route for Chinese spying and undermine allies' confidence in the security of UK communications.
Gavin Williamson was later sacked as defence secretary after the PM said there was "compelling evidence" he was behind the leak.
Mrs May has come under pressure over the speed of her decision to sack him, and MPs have ordered top mandarin Mr Sedwill to reveal his evidence.
Mr Williamson has said he "swears on my children's lives" he was not to blame and said he'd welcome a police probe, believing he'd be "exonerated".
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Mr Basu, head of the Met's Specialist Operations, did not rule on who was behind the leak.
He said: "Any organisation has the right to conduct an internal investigation into conduct in the workplace. It is not a matter for the police unless a crime is alleged.
"At no time have the police been provided with evidence by the Cabinet Office that a crime has been committed nor has it been suggested that a Gateway process would be required to enable that determination to be made.
"No crime has been alleged by the owner of the material and I am clear that the leak did not cause damage to the public interest at a level at which it would be necessary to engage misconduct in a public office. It would be inappropriate to carry out a police investigation in these circumstances."
The Sun on Sunday Says
THE police have announced that Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson didn’t commit a crime by allegedly leaking information about the Chinese tech giant Huawei.
In fact, they said, he didn’t break Britain’s Official Secrets Act, didn’t commit an act of misconduct in public office and it wasn’t a police matter at all.
Anyone might think he was fired on Wednesday to divert attention from Mrs May’s Brexit deal with Labour on the eve of the local elections.
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