(Bloomberg) — The Metropolitan Police are closing their criminal investigation into whether officials close to former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak placed bets on the timing of last month’s general election, although the episode is still being probed by gambling authorities. 

The Met concluded the bets didn’t meet the threshold for misconduct in public office, which fell under its responsibility. The Gambling Commission is still looking into whether some peopled violated the Gambling Act by using insider information about the July 4 election date to place wagers before Sunak publicly announced it in late May.

“While our involvement in the criminal investigation now ceases, it’s important that is not misinterpreted as an all clear for those whose cases were looked at,” Detective Superintendent Katherine Goodwin said in a statement. “There are still Gambling Act offenses to consider and it is appropriate that they are taken forward by investigators from the Gambling Commission who have particular expertise in this field.”

The move closes one chapter of the scandal that embroiled the Conservative Party in the middle of a general election campaign that ended in an historic win by Labour leader Keir Starmer. While the Gambling Commission probe continues, the additional Met investigation had raised the stakes for officials involved.

Only a “small number” of bets made on the general election date were subject to the Met investigation, on top of possible breaches of the Gambling Act, which outlaws cheating.

Gambling Commission Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes said that the body had already interviewed several suspects and was collecting evidence. “We have remained focused on our criminal investigation into confidential information being used to gain an unfair advantage when betting on the date of the General Election,” Rhodes said. 

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.