PI murdered for plan ‘to expose police corruption’

Daniel Morgan was found dead in a south London car park in 1987. His inquest ruled he had been unlawfully killed yet five separate police inquiries have failed to result in a conviction.

His brother Alastair Morgan told Channel 4 News he believes his brother was about to expose police corruption and that it was this which led to Daniel’s murder: “What we know is that in the days before his murder, he said to a neighbour, ‘you will never guess what I have found out today. All police are bastards’.”

Asked if his brother was about to expose police corruption, he said: “The indications were there from the very beginning – at the time of the murder.

“Throughout the investigations that have taken place more recently, the evidence continues to suggest that is what happened. Police involvement with criminals, involvement with drugs and weapons importation.”

Deal

Meanwhile, alleged links between the police and News International were further set out by MP Tom Watson at a Westminster Hall debate. Mr Watson alleged that in the week before his death, Daniel Morgan had brokered a deal to sell a story to the News of the World exposing police corruption and that his contact there was the paper’s former crime editor Alex Marunchak.Mr Watson said the private detective was promised a payment of £40,000.

Echoing the family’s demands, Mr Watson asked Police Minister Nick Herbert to launch a judicial inquiry into Mr Morgan’s death. Mr Watson also used parliamentary privilege to set out what he said were links between Metropolitan Police detectives who were investigating Daniel Morgan’s murder and Alex Marunchak.

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Mr Marunchak has denied any links to Daniel Morgan or any allegations of wrongdoing.

Mr Watson also called on the government to investigate claims that the police has an intelligence file which suggests illegal payments were made to police investigating the Soham murders.

Judicial inquiry not ruled out

In response to Tom Watson’s statement, Police Minister Nick Herbert said: “It is important to consider what options are now available to identify and address the issue of police corruption and to bring those responsible for Daniel’s murder to justice.

“The Morgan family has called for a judicial inquiry and this call has been endorsed by the Metropolitan Police Authority.”

He added: “We are considering very carefully if this is the right way forward. The home secretary and I haven’t ruled out ordering a judicial inquiry at this stage.”

But the minister also refused to rule out another investigation involving the police, something which the Morgan family have said it does not want as it has lost faith in the service.