M.i.5 ‘forged Bank Accounts’ (Press, 27 April 1987)
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Summary: M.i.5 ‘forged Bank Accounts’ (Press, 27 April 1987)
On 27 April 1987, it was reported by "The Sunday Times" that Britain's counter-intelligence agency, M. 1.5, had fabricated bank accounts for certain Irish and English Members of Parliament. The claims highlighted a plot to undermine political figures, specifically targeting Rev. Ian Paisley and Mr. John Hume, both of whom are Ulster MPs. The newspaper claimed to possess documents supporting these allegations, which asserted that M. 1.5 created false bank statements that indicated the two parliamentarians had embezzled party funds. These revelations followed earlier disclosures regarding Sir Maurice Oldfield, a former chief of M. 1.6, who had been deemed a security risk due to his homosexuality. "The Sunday Times" indicated that it had located intelligence officers involved in efforts to 'neutralise' parliamentarians deemed troublesome. In addition to Paisley and Hume, it was reported that a fake bank account was also attributed to former Labour Party deputy leader Ted Short. Among the evidence brought forth was a counterfeit share statement in Paisley’s name, dated between June and July 1973, which falsely suggested he had acquired shares worth over £11,000 ($31,020) in companies located in Canada and South Africa. The documents were crafted to imply that these funds had originated from contributions to Paisley’s church. The context of the time made such transactions illegal due to exchange restrictions, as it was against the law to buy shares in those countries without paying a government premium. In light of these serious allegations, Paisley has called for a full judicial inquiry into the activities of the intelligence service. The situation raised significant concerns about the operations and oversight of British intelligence as indicated by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's comments in Parliament regarding the vetting process, which had failed to identify Oldfield's sexual orientation as a potential risk factor.
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