The watchdog body charged with ensuring the integrity of the processes for appointing public officials in the UK announced today that it will review whether the 2021 appointment of the current president of the BBC public broadcaster, Richard Sharp, met the required standards.
66-Year-Old Former Goldman Sachs Banker
Sharp, a 66-year-old former Goldman Sachs banker, acted as an intermediary to help former Prime Minister Boris Johnson obtain the necessary guarantees to receive a bank loan of up to 800,000 pounds (910,000 euros) in 2020, as this purpose has come to light. of week.
The British Commissioner for Public Charges, William Sawcross, indicated today that he will review the selection process in which Sharp was chosen as president of the public channel, who had the support of Johnson, then head of government, to fill the position.
“The commissioner’s role is to scrutinize public appointments and ensure they are made in a fair, open and merit-based manner,” Sawcross said in a letter to opposition Labor Culture spokeswoman Lucy Powell, who had called for an investigation was opened.
“I will review this selection process to be sure and to be able to assure the citizens that it was carried out following the Executive’s governance codes,” added the commissioner.
The BBC president, who worked as an adviser to Johnson during his time as mayor of London, has admitted that he acted as an intermediary to “connect” the government’s cabinet secretary, Simon Case, and the Canadian millionaire Sam Blyth, who allegedly acted as credit guarantor for the prime minister.
«I was not involved in the execution of any loan, in the negotiation of guarantees nor did I manage any financing. What I did was introduce Sam Blythe to the right person in the government,” he explained today.
The Canadian millionaire “knew the financial pressures that the prime minister was enduring and, as a successful businessman, told me that he wanted to explore if I could be of help,” added the head of the public chain.
Sharp advanced that he has asked the BBC’s appointments committee to also assess his appointment to establish whether there was an undeclared conflict of interest when he was offered the position.
This article is originally published on quepasamedia.com