The former Deputy Property Manager of Buckingham Palace has been sentenced after taking bribes to award lucrative mechanical and electrical (M&E) contracts.

Ronald Harper was found guilty of conspiring to receive corrupt payments from the former owners of Melton Power Services (MPS) and BSI Nordale. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

The former director of MPS, Steven Thompson, and BSI Nordale director Christopher Murphy, were also jailed for 18 months for paying more than £100,000 towards Mr Harper in order to obtain valuable M&E contracts at the Royal Household.

In addition, Aseai Zlaoui and Glynn Orridge were convicted of conspiracy to make corrupt payments, while Alan Rollinson was convicted of converting or transferring stolen property

Southwark Crown Court heard how Mr Harper worked with an annual budget of £2.3 million as Deputy Property Manager and was able to authorise orders worth up to £30,000.

During his employment, received over £100,000 in convert payments for M&E work in Buckingham Palace, the Queen's Gallery, St James's Palace and Kensington Palace. One company also renewed their Royal Warrant during the period of the conspiracy.

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Evidence produced at court showed that the tender processes and payment systems were manipulated, invoices were fabricated and that a Royal Warrant was granted to MPS on the recommendation of Mr Harper. As a result, the Royal Household was overcharged for the necessary work which was undertaken at the Royal Palaces.

Both MPS and BSI inflated the price of contracts and the additional amounts were then used to create a fund from which the bribes were paid. Thompson, the former owner of MPS, also kept some of the additional money himself.

Some of the payments by BSI Nordale to Harper were disguised using his brother-in-law Alan Rollinson, who was convicted of money laundering.

Harper received £55,000 in covert payments from MPS and £20,000 from BSI Nordale. In addition unexplained cash deposits into Harper's bank account in the region of £30,000 were also uncovered.

In sentencing, the Judge commented that Harper's offences were aggravated by the fact that he proudly displayed an award for excellence, given by the Royal Household, in his office.

Nick Vamos, Head of Special Crime at the CPS, said: "This was a complex scam but by working in close liaison with Leicestershire Police, CPS prosecutors were able to meticulously piece together a case that laid bare the extent of the defendants' corruption.

"It was a long-running, sophisticated and well-planned fraud in which they exploited the good name and status of the Royal Household to enrich themselves at the taxpayers' expense.

"This case demonstrates the commitment of the CPS to hold to account those who seek to gain through corrupt practices."

(LM/MH)