An MP from the Conservative Party, which governs the United Kingdom, said this Friday on Channel X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was twice detained and questioned by police on suspicion of rape.
Crispin Blunt, 63, an MP since 1997 and a former minister, said in a statement that he was arrested on Wednesday by police for what he believed to be an “incident” after he was first questioned three weeks ago when he reported his concerns about an unidentified “extortion”.
He was questioned for the second time “early this morning on bail following his arrest.”
Blunt added that his arrest was “unnecessary” and that he remains “committed to fully cooperating with the investigation,” which he believes will “conclude without charges.”
“I do not intend to say anything further on this matter until the police have completed their investigation,” he added.
Blunt’s statement came after Surrey police said they arrested a man on Wednesday morning in Horley, about 100 kilometers south of London, on suspicion of rape and possession of a controlled substance.
A police spokesman said the man “has been released on bail pending further inquiries.”
The Conservative Party suspended Blunt pending a police investigation, meaning he will remain in Parliament as an independent candidate.
Blunt has already announced that he will no longer stand as a candidate in the next UK parliamentary elections, due to take place by January 2025.
Blunt is the latest in a series of MPs from various political parties to be arrested on sex offences.
On Wednesday, another Conservative MP, Peter Bone, was suspended from parliament for six weeks, despite denying any wrongdoing, after an investigation found he bullied and engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior towards a staff member.