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Johnson was told not to seek financial advice from the BBC president – World

London, Jan 29 (EFE).- Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was formally warned not to continue asking Richard Sharp for financial “advice” in December 2020, before he was appointed president of the BBC public channel, as revealed the Sunday “The Sunday Times”.

In recent days, the alleged advice that the now president of the station gave the conservative politician has come to light.

As the media have revealed these days, Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker, acted as an intermediary to facilitate Johnson obtaining the necessary guarantees to receive a bank loan of up to 800,000 pounds (910,000 euros) in 2020.

The “Sunday Times”, citing a leaked memo from the Government’s cabinet office, reveals today that Johnson was formally told on December 22, 2020 to stop asking Sharp for “advice” on his “personal financial matters”. , days before Sharp was announced as the next president of the BBC.

Sharp was announced as the Government’s choice for president of the national broadcaster on January 6, 2021.

As the newspaper points out today, the cabinet office document was drafted after Johnson and Sharp sought advice in early December 2020 to accept the loan guaranteed by Canadian businessman Sam Blyth, a distant cousin of the then chief executive.

Blyth and Sharp had discussed helping Johnson with his finances on two occasions, the newspaper added.

Johnson secured the loan in February 2021, according to his own statement on the ministers’ internal register of interests.

“Given the imminent announcement of Richard Sharp as the new chairman of the BBC, it is important that you no longer seek his advice on your personal financial matters,” according to advice given by Simon Case, the government’s cabinet secretary, to Johnson.

Sharp, 66, a friend of Johnson, 58, and Blyth, 67, has repeatedly said he did not advise the former prime minister or have detailed knowledge of his finances.

These latest details about the links between Johnson and Sharp come to light after the control body in charge of ensuring the integrity of the processes to appoint public officials in the United Kingdom announced a few days ago that it will review whether the appointment in 2021 of the current president of the public channel BBC complied with the required standards.

The British Commissioner for Public Charges, William Sawcross, indicated that he will review the selection process in which Sharp was chosen as president of the chain, who had the support of Johnson, then head of government, to fill the position.

A former Johnson adviser during his time as mayor of London, Sharp has admitted that he acted as a go-between to “connect” the government’s cabinet secretary, Simon Case, and Canadian millionaire Sam Blyth.

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