Hunt fails to uncover mole who leaked tale of Begum’s return

A MOLEHUNT involving Boris Johnson and Priti Patel has failed to find the source of a suspected leak in the case of jihadi bride Shamima Begum.

Judges ordered an investigation last July when details of an embargoed Court of Appeal ruling were published online by The Sun newspaper.

The ruling to allow Begum to return to the UK to fight for her British citizenship — since reversed by the Supreme Court — had been shared in advance with lawyers, officials, and selected ministers, but with strict instructions that the decision should only become public when handed down by the court.

Sir Jonathan Jones QC, the former treasury solicitor, was put in charge of the internal investigation. The Standard can reveal that the probe failed to find evidence of a leak, but discovered the ruling had been shared more widely than expected and some security procedures “had not been followed correctly”. The investigation into a possible contempt of court was then closed. Sir Jonathan’s report reveals the ruling — or its existence — was shared with 54 people. On July 10, it was shared with a group in the Home Office, including Ms Patel and minister James Brokenshire. An email noted “we will inform several named individuals (including the PM) of the fact of the expected hand-down, late Tuesday.” The Sun story quoting “government sources” was published on its website on July 15, but then deleted.

The Government said Sir Jonathan and his office had not been in direct correspondence with ministers over the alleged leak, and there was no written contact between the investigation and the PM’s former special advisers Dominic Cummings and Lee Cain.