“To prevent any inaccurate speculation, I would like to confirm that upon receipt of information that I felt it was relevant, I passed this on to the Met Police in good faith as is my duty and responsibility.”
After The Times reported that he was behind the tipoff, he added: “It is regrettable that this rapidly ended up in the media. As this is a live investigation, members would understand that it would not be appropriate to make any further comment and I’d like to caution members from doing so.”
It is understood that the force had been planning to interview the former minister by appointment rather than arrest him, but that decision changed suddenly when detectives became concerned that he could be a flight risk.
Lord Mandelson was forced to surrender his passport as part of his bail conditions, following seven hours of questioning.
In a statement, lawyers for the peer described allegations that he was planning to flee the country as “baseless”.
A spokesman said: “Peter Mandelson was arrested despite an agreement with the police that he would attend an interview next month on a voluntary basis.
“The arrest was prompted by a baseless suggestion that he was planning to leave the country and take up permanent residence abroad. There is absolutely no truth whatsoever in any such suggestion. We have asked the MPS for the evidence relied upon to justify the arrest.
“Peter Mandelson’s overriding priority is to co-operate with the police investigation, as he has done throughout this process, and to clear his name.”
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