Lord hits back at claims of sleaze

Feb 8 2009 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

A FORMER top cop has hit back at claims he secretly raked in more than £600,000 from a media company.

Lord Brian Mackenzie of Framwellgate was accused by the News of the World of flouting anti-sleaze rules by being paid £616,000 by Inter TV and not declaring the fact he is one of the business’s directors.

But the Labour peer, of Durham, denies any shroud of secrecy, saying all his paid interests are listed in the House of Lords.

The 65-year-old Government crime adviser, who retired from Durham Constabulary in 1998, says his only error has been a clerical one . . . failing to list his directorship in the correct column of the Lords Register.

Lord Mackenzie said: “On retirement from the police I was advised to set up my own management company, Framwellgate Resources Ltd, to manage my business services.

“All my fees for speeches, consultancies and other matters were paid into this company and as a shareholder I am paid dividends from time to time.

“I was later made a director of Inter TV on a nominal salary of £6000 per annum.

“When this change took place I should have moved the entry to another column of the Lords Register.

“This makes no practical difference, but has now been done.

“There is no requirement in the Lords to declare remuneration on the register.

“Both of these companies are on the register and there was nothing ‘secret’ about the total of fees paid over eight years.

“All my fee payments are available from Companies House.”