The president of the BBC resigns for hiding that he helped Boris Johnson to obtain a loan of €900,000

BBC President Richard Sharphas resigned for breaking the rules of the British public channel by hiding that he helped the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, to obtain a loan of 800,000 pounds (about 907,000 euros) months before his appointment.

In a statement, Sharp has explained that it takes this decision to BBC’s “Put Interests First”considering that this issue “could be a distraction from the good work that the corporation is doing.”

Richard Sharp is accused of interceding in the granting of a personal loan of more than 900,000 euros to Boris Johnson before being appointed to head the BBC, although he always denied that he had incurred a conflict of interest when he took the position, on the 16th of February 2021.

Despite his denial, an independent report revealed that Sharp broke the rules by helping the then prime minister, who was struggling financially to pay support for seven children recognized with three women and the redecoration of the official residence on Downing Street suffocated their accounts.

[Amancio Ortega cierra la compra de la antigua sede de la BBC en Londres por más de 90 M]

This was the intermediation of Richard Sharp

sharp, what was senior officer of the bank Goldman Sachs and personal adviser to the British ex-premier during his time as mayor of London, introduced the Canadian millionaire Sam Blyth to the then government cabinet secretary, Simon Case, to address the granting of this loan of almost a million euros.

As reported Sunday Times Last January, both Sharp and Blyth had participated in a dinner at the end of 2020 in which they analyzed formulas to solve Johnson’s financial problems.

The former prime minister had difficulties to cover his expenses with the salary of prime ministerof about 165,000 pounds (188,000 euros). Blyth, in this way, offered to act as guarantor of a credit for the prime minister and the current president of the BBCwhich has also donated 400,000 pounds to the Conservative Party (455,000 euros), acted as intermediaryalthough he did not mention it when applying for a position that requires declaring any “conflicts of interest.”

Richard Sharp went to Downing Street in the first week of December 2020 to discuss this issue with Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary. In that meeting, he introduced the millionaire Sam Blyth, who later spoke personally with Boris Johnson. The deal was sealed at a private dinner at the exclusive Checkers restaurant.

Mediator and friend of Johnson

The ethics and decorum team at the Cabinet Office wrote a letter at the end of December formal letter telling Johnson to stop seeking advice Sharp about his personal finances, given the upcoming BBC appointment. So, the former prime minister had already selected Sharp as their preferred candidate. Days later, on January 6, 2021, Oliver Dowden (at that time secretary of culture) announced him as the Government’s choice for the position, with a salary of 160,000 pounds sterling a year (about 182,000 euros).

According to the statutes of the BBCthe president of this public channel is appointed by the Royal Family on the recommendation of the prime minister and the secretary of culture. Thus, managers receive advice from a four-person nominating panel, which must conduct a “fair and open” competition. Anyone can apply, though the government has the last word and you can repeat the contest if you don’t like the shortlisted candidates.

Sharp never disclosed his involvement in Johnson’s finances. The case it was not mentioned during his previous hearing to the appointment as president of the BBC before a select committee of the House of Commons, in February 2021. The bases of employment, in fact, specify that you cannot aspire to a public position if it does not entail a conflict of interest. Not only because of the loan, but also because both they are friends.