Vaz hits back at reports
Keith Vaz has issued a firm denial of reports a Metropolitan Police investigation from 1997 to 2001 found funds “of a suspicious nature” deposited into his accounts.
The Daily Telegraph reported today that the Met found a series of accounts belonging to or linked to the Labour had received the payments.
Writing on his website this afternoon, Mr Vaz said the payments "were not suspicious in any way".
"The Telegraph claim that the unnamed police officer states that the payments into my account were suspicious. They were not suspicious in any way. They relate to the sale of a family home in London, the purchase of a new family home and a drawdown of equity from my bank.
"When you sell a house and you buy a new house it is normal practice for the money to be paid into your account and the money then paid out."
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen has said he would write to the Parliamentary Commissioner on Standards and called on Mr Vaz to stand down from his role as chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee while the allegations are investigated.