STATEMENT FROM PAUL PAGE IN RESPONSE TO THE PUBLICATION OF FOR QUEEN &
CURRENCY
In 2008, a year prior to my fraud trial, I decided to speak to Michael Gillard regarding the
circumstances that led to my indictment. I chose him because of his work on public sector corruption
and more importantly his investigation into the Metropolitan Police’s Anti Corruption Command in an
earlier book called Untouchables.
At that point in my life, I was almost a broken man. The only thing holding me together was my dear
wife, Laura, and loving children to whom I'd caused so much pain over the years. At the point of talking
to Michael and looking back on my police career I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I was going
to prison for a very long time. The strange thing was that I was slightly comforted by the fact that I
knew it was well deserved.
In my mind, atoning for past mistakes and draining sixteen years of poison from my veins by talking so
candidly to Michael seemed like a good idea at the time. I asked for no 'quarter' and he gave me
none.
I also felt there were serious professional issues regarding the conduct of the Royal Protection
Department (SO14) and the honesty and integrity of the Anti-Corruption Command’s investigation into
me and others. This was not sour grapes. In my eyes, the investigation was about damage limitation
for the Met and SO14 and not about serving the public interest.
I would also stress that if any officer has issues surrounding any forms of addiction be they gambling
or drugs or serious debt issues get help as soon as possible. If you can't trust the Job, then seek help
from outside before things get worse, and believe me they will get worse if you don't face up to your
issues sooner rather than later.
I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to those people I directly or indirectly affected due to
my selfish and reckless actions all those years ago. I hope this public apology, which I was unable to
make during the trial, goes some way to helping you move forward with your lives. I also apologise to
honest, hard working police officers for bringing the Job into disrepute in such difficult times.