The Ministry of Defence is always strapped for cash but never short of intrigue.
Remember the urgent police inquiry that Liam Fox launched after a mole gave the Daily Telegraph his letter warning David Cameron about “draconian” cuts?
Well the word on the corridors of the MoD 5th floor — where all the big guns reside — is that the inquiries are almost complete.
It has taken five long months, dozens of coppers and more than a hundred hours of interviews. But the MoD police have a suspect in their cross-hairs.
Given how leaky the MoD is, you can imagine this news is of concern to quite a few individuals, not least because of the risk of mistaken identity.
Fox seemed hellbent on pressing charges over the episode, which upset him almost as much as the thought of an EU army. And he is desperate to instil a bit discipline.
But it won’t be simple. The mole is most likely a rather senior officer, or at least acting on the instructions of someone rather senior.
With more cuts looming over the MoD, is this really the time to create martyrs? There are plenty of good reasons for Fox to find a dusty drawer to bury this police report. Let’s see how angry he really is.
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey