DAILY STAR SUNDAY : ‘SPY IN BAG’ OFFICER IS TAKEN OFF THE CASE

‘SPY IN BAG’ OFFICER IS TAKEN OFF THE CASE

Jonathan Corke | November 11, 2012

THE detective who tried to solve the “spy in the bag” riddle has been replaced – while colleagues who failed to tell her about evidence in the case have escaped a ­disciplinary rap.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire believed a third party was involved in MI6 worker Gareth Williams’ mysterious death two years ago in a central London flat.

But it emerged at the code-breaker’s inquest that evidence had been ­withheld from her for 21 months.

Mr Williams’ body was ­discovered in a padlocked holdall in the bath of his flat in August 2010. Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s counter- terrorism SO15 unit, who liaised with MI6, failed to tell Det Chief Insp Sebire that nine computer memory sticks and a black bag belonging to the 31-year-old had been recovered.

She was only informed of the find at the inquest in May this year.

We can now reveal she was moved off the case after the inquest – and replaced by Det Chief Insp Matt Bonner.

But after our investigation, which the police tried to thwart, we have learned that no Met officer has faced disciplinary proceedings over failings in the probe which emerged at the inquest.

Detective Superintendent Mick Broster of SO15 was slammed by coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox over the way he handled the memory sticks and bag evidence.

The officer said he had been assured by MI6 that the items, which were found in Mr Williams’ work locker, were not relevant to the inquiry.

Sources close to Mr Williams, who was originally from Anglesey, North Wales, fear the case will never be solved and has been badly hampered by police and MI6 failures.