A dramatic inquiry into the financing of Britain's main political parties closed in on Prime Minister Tony Blair Thursday as a key ally was questioned by police for a second day.
Lord Michael Levy, chief fundraiser of the governing Labour Party, is among a total of 48 people who have been interviewed by detectives since the "cash for honours" investigation was launched by the Metropolitan Police in March.
A further three people, who have not been named, declined to be questioned, said deputy assistant police commissioner John Yates, who is leading the politically sensitive investigation.
Detectives are exploring allegations that wealthy individuals were nominated for seats in the House of Lords, the unelected upper chamber of Britain's bicameral parliament, after contributing to Labour's election warchest in 2005.
The main opposition Conservatives and smaller Liberal Democrats have also become embroiled in the probe - but attention is fixed on whether Blair himself will be questioned.
Asked about a BBC report that Blair was "preparing" to be interviewed, the prime minister's spokesman replied: "The answer to that is no." Levy, for his part, denies any wrongdoing.
Yates, who on Thursday updated a parliamentary committee on the investigation, meanwhile looked ready to question anyone he deemed necessary.
Asked whether police would baulk at quizzing Blair, Tony Wright, a Labour MP who chairs the public administration committee, said: "He did not strike me as the type of man who would baulk at interviewing anybody."
Wright added: "People try to ask him whether (he will interview the prime minister) and of course he will not talk about individuals. But he, as he keeps saying, will go wherever this investigation leads."
Of the 48 people questioned by the police so far, 13 - including Levy - were arrested before being interviewed. No one, however, has yet been charged.
In a blow for the Conservatives, Yates told lawmakers that his officers had spoken to more people from the Tories than from Labour.
Yates also said he had submitted two files to the Crown Prosecution Service and expected to hand over a full report later this year. He expects to continue interviewing witnesses until mid-September.
Turning to Levy, whose arrest triggered a media storm on Wednesday, Yates said his return for extra questioning on Thursday was simply because a fire had broken out at the police station where he had been held on Wednesday.
Levy, 62, who plays tennis with Blair, acts as his personal envoy to the Middle East and who is nicknamed "Lord Cashpoint" for his fundraising talents, was later released.
A spokesman for the fundraiser said he was "deeply disappointed" at being detained and felt the decision to arrest him was "disproportionate".
"Although any allegations remain unclear, Lord Levy wants everyone to understand that he has not been involved in any wrong-doing or assisted anyone else in any wrong-doing," the spokesman added.
His arrest followed allegations that Levy advised a businessman he did not need to tell a committee vetting his nomination for a seat in the House of Lords about a 250,000-pound (460,000-dollar, 362,000-euro) loan to Labour.
"The police are clearly taking this seriously - quite properly in my view. It must be pretty worrying for the top ranks of the Labour Party," said Conservative home affairs spokesman David Davis.
Labour, meanwhile, placed full-page advertisements in the national press on Thursday that displayed lists of celebrities, businessmen and other backers who said they were "proud to help fund the Labour Party".
Among the names were "Star Trek" actor Patrick Stewart, comedian Eddie Izzard, advertising guru Trevor Beattie and financier Nigel Doughty.
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