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BBC president resigns for facilitating a loan to Boris Johnson before his appointment

MADRID, 28 Abr.

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BBC president resigns for facilitating a loan to Boris Johnson before his appointment

MADRID, 28 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The president of the British public broadcaster BBC, Richard Sharp, has submitted his resignation this Friday after facilitating a loan to Boris Johnson before the then prime minister of the country appointed him in charge of the entity.

Sharp, a former employee of financial institutions JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, has acknowledged that he provided a loan worth 800,000 pounds (about 900,000 euros) to Johnson in what was treated as an a priori violation -- and, in his words, "unintentional" -- from the BBC's code of conduct.

A conduct report on Sharp has revealed, specifically, two conflicts of interest: first, that Sharp informed Johnson that he wanted the position before officially submitting his candidacy in November 2020 and, second, that he introduced Canadian millionaire Sam Blyth to the then Secretary of the Government Cabinet, Simon Case, to "help (Johnson) with his personal finances)

"In retrospect, I wish I had thought of mentioning this possible conflict of interest," Sharp said in an interview with the BBC itself, "and I would like to apologize for this slip, however inadvertent, and for the distraction caused." .

Sharp, in relation to the loan issue, has reiterated that he acted in "good faith" and that he reminded the cabinet secretary of the appointment rules at all times.

The British public broadcasting board, for its part and in an official statement, has confirmed that it has accepted the resignation of Sharp, whom they describe in any case as a "person of integrity" who has fulfilled the duties of his mandate, as supervisor of the environment and guarantor of its independence.

"He has been a true defender of the BBC and its mission, and why this corporation is an invaluable asset for the country, both inside and outside its borders," the note added.

Sharp will remain in his position on an interim basis until his resignation becomes effective in June.

Keywords:
Boris Johnson