Jennifer Arcuri Giving Evidence To London Assembly
Oversight committee looking at governance processes relating to foreign trips
Jennifer Arcuri and Boris Johnson
American businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri will this Tuesday (21 September) give evidence to the London Assembly over her involvement in foreign trade trips alongside Boris Johnson.
In an interview with the Mirror earlier this year, Ms Arcuri claimed to have had an “intimate relationship” with Boris Johnson between 2012 and 2016, during which time he was Mayor of London.
Ms Arcuri’s presence on several GLA overseas visits during that time has been the subject of much scrutiny, including an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in September 2019.
The GLA oversight committee, which scrutinises the conduct of GLA members, will on Tuesday question Ms Arcuri over how she came to find out about and be invited on the visits, which included trade missions to New York and Tel Aviv.
Last year, the IOPC decided that it would not pursue a criminal investigation into the matter, concluding that there was no evidence to suggest that Boris Johnson had a role in securing Ms Arcuri’s place on the visits.
The issue was referred back to the London Assembly to determine whether Mr Johnson had breached the GLA’s code of conduct by providing Ms Arcuri with “preferential access or treatment”.
But ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, the oversight committee has stressed that it is “not permissible” for it to claim to be investigating a breach of the code by the former mayor or to give the impression that it is “disciplining” Mr Johnson.
Instead, Ms Arcuri’s testimony will be used to draw up recommendations on whether GLA governance processes should be reviewed or strengthened with regards to overseas visits and sponsorships.
A City Hall-led investigation into whether Boris Johnson had breached the GLA’s code of conduct had begun early last year but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier this year, a source close to City Hall told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the probe into the former Mayor of London’s conduct was likely to resume at some point.
Members of the public can watch the GLA oversight committee meeting from 2PM on the London Assembly website.
Joe Talora - Local Democracy Reporter
September 21, 2021