Dirty tricks in the detention cell
The campaign against extending the 28-day pre-charge detention limit for terrorism suspects has now entered the territory of black propaganda. The Sunday Times carries a piece about Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman, the head of anti-terrorism in the Metropolitan Police. This tells us that:
With Scotland Yard already in turmoil, Andy Hayman, the Metropolitan police anti-terrorism chief, has been questioned over thousands of pounds spent on hotel expenses and drinks for his staff. The inquiry will put renewed pressure on Sir Ian Blair, the Met commissioner, after he survived a no-confidence vote last week over the killing of an innocent Brazilian in a bungled anti-terror operation.So this obviously carefully planted demolition job on Hayman is a story that will add to the pressure on Sir Ian Blair, is it? I don’t think that's quite the point here. For Hayman is the officer who reportedly wrote the original paper arguing for an extension of the then 14-day pre-charge detention limit for a period of up to three months. The impressive arguments in that paper are very hard to refute. So what a remarkable stroke of luck for opponents of this proposal that the officer whose reputation has now been so badly undermined by accusations of financial impropriety just happens to be the author of that report!
A positively Koestlerian coincidence!