01-04-2009, 03:04 PM
A few years ago I was told that Aitken had accepted an invitation to speak at a local church and I was asked if I would like to attend the lecture. "Yes please, I'll have some questions ready for him," I replied. But Aitken canceled at the last moment and that was that.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/1999/mar/04/uk
Jonathan Aitken: a timeline
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 4 March 1999 16.14 GMT
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1971
Jonathan Aitken accused of offences under the Official Secrets Act for passing on classified information to the Sunday Telegraph about the Biafran war in Nigeria. He was acquitted of all charges having pleaded that it was his "duty in the interests of the state" to have done so.
1974
Becomes MP for Thanet East constituency.
September 1988
Aitken joins board of BMARC as a non-executive director.
March 1990
Resigns from BMARC.
1992
Aitken becomes Minister of Defence Procurement.
November 1992
John Major sets up the Scott Inquiry to investigate the sale of arms to Iraq in breach of government guidelines during 1984-90.
September 1993
Aitken is spotted at the Paris Ritz hotel. Said Mohammed Ayas and Wafic Said, two former business associates, were also seen there at the same time. His bill is paid by Prince Mohammed bin Fahd of Saudi Arabia.
October 1993
The Guardian is tipped off by Mohamed Al-Fayed about Jonathan Aitken's recent stay at the Paris Ritz. When contacted by the paper, Aitken maintains his wife settled the bill.
November 1993
Guardian sends "cod fax" to Paris Ritz to secure a copy of Jonathan Aitken's bill for his stay in September 1993. The ploy is successful.
February 1994
Aitken cleared of wrongdoing after the correspondence between he and the Guardian is sent to the Cabinet Secretary and John Major.
July 1994
Appointed to the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
October 1994
The Guardian's 'cash for questions' investigation accuses Aitken and three other ministers.
October 1994
John Major announces the setting up of the Nolan Committee on standards in public life. Story of the Guardian's "cod fax" is leaked by the Sunday Telegraph.
November 1994
MPs vote to send "cod fax" investigation to the Committee of Privileges.
March 1995
Fresh allegations that Aitken knew about the arms deals with Iran in breach of the government embargo as he would have routinely seen BMARC company progress reports. Aitken denies knowledge of them.
April 1995
The Guardian reveals that Aitken's Paris Ritz hotel bill was paid by the Saudis. Screening of Granada's World in Action documentary, Jonathan of Arabia, about the business and personal dealings between Aitken and Mohammed bin Fahd. Among the programme's accusations, it is alleged that Aitken pimped for Saudi friends at a health farm.
10 April 1995
Jonathan Aitken announces he has issued writs against the Guardian and its editor-in-chief. Resigning from the Cabinet, he declares, "If it falls to me to start a fight to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism in our country with the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of fair play, so be it."
27 April 1995
Jonathan Aitken issues a writ for defamation against Granada.
June 1995
Commons motion reveals that Jonathan Aitken had signed a controversial "gagging order" - officially called a Public Interest Immunity Certificate (PIIC) - in September 1992 for the Matrix Churchill trial. The documents covered by the PIIC included reports relating to the supply of arms to Iraq by BMARC, of which he was a company director at the relevant time.
December 1995
Aitken sues the Guardian and Granada Television over their allegations about his role in BMARC.
May 1997
Loses his Thanet South seat in the General Election.
June 1997
Aitken's libel case against the Guardian and Granada collapses when evidence shows that he, his family and friends had lied to the court. Airline tickets show that his family could not have been in Paris during Aitken's stay in September 1993, and Aitken's claim that his wife paid the bill is false. He and his wife announce their separation soon afterwards, and he is stripped of his membership of the Privy Council.
March 1998
Aitken becomes a representative for the arms company GEC-Marconi, who are believed to have sought his Saudi connections. His £2m legal bill from the failed libel case remains unpaid. Aitken sells his house in Kent.
March 1998
Daughter Victoria and Said Ayas are arrested in connection with allegations of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Aitken himself is arrested soon afterwards. All are released on police bail.
May 1998
Just before being charged with perjury, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and perverting the course of justice, a newspaper report claims that Aitken plans to plea in his defence that he lied in order to conceal his role as a secret government intelligence intermediary. He later denies this and says he will use it only as a 'mitigating factor'. Said Ayas is also charged with conspiracy to pervert the cause of justice and perverting the cause of justice.
August 1998
The case against Victoria Aitken is dropped due to insufficient evidence.
January 1999
Pleads guilty at the Old Bailey to one charge of perjury and one charge of perverting the course of justice. He denies two further charges.
March 1999
The CPS drops charges against Said Ayas. Aitken is reported to have suffered a minor stroke.
May 1999
Aitken is made bankrupt by the High Court. He claims to have been forced into bankruptcy by the Guardian and Granada's refusal to accept a cash settlement of his outstanding legal bill. The Guardian rejects his reasons for bankruptcy, saying 'he has not paid a penny' of the bill he promised to pay 80% of.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/1999/mar/04/uk
Jonathan Aitken: a timeline
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 4 March 1999 16.14 GMT
larger | smaller
1971
Jonathan Aitken accused of offences under the Official Secrets Act for passing on classified information to the Sunday Telegraph about the Biafran war in Nigeria. He was acquitted of all charges having pleaded that it was his "duty in the interests of the state" to have done so.
1974
Becomes MP for Thanet East constituency.
September 1988
Aitken joins board of BMARC as a non-executive director.
March 1990
Resigns from BMARC.
1992
Aitken becomes Minister of Defence Procurement.
November 1992
John Major sets up the Scott Inquiry to investigate the sale of arms to Iraq in breach of government guidelines during 1984-90.
September 1993
Aitken is spotted at the Paris Ritz hotel. Said Mohammed Ayas and Wafic Said, two former business associates, were also seen there at the same time. His bill is paid by Prince Mohammed bin Fahd of Saudi Arabia.
October 1993
The Guardian is tipped off by Mohamed Al-Fayed about Jonathan Aitken's recent stay at the Paris Ritz. When contacted by the paper, Aitken maintains his wife settled the bill.
November 1993
Guardian sends "cod fax" to Paris Ritz to secure a copy of Jonathan Aitken's bill for his stay in September 1993. The ploy is successful.
February 1994
Aitken cleared of wrongdoing after the correspondence between he and the Guardian is sent to the Cabinet Secretary and John Major.
July 1994
Appointed to the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
October 1994
The Guardian's 'cash for questions' investigation accuses Aitken and three other ministers.
October 1994
John Major announces the setting up of the Nolan Committee on standards in public life. Story of the Guardian's "cod fax" is leaked by the Sunday Telegraph.
November 1994
MPs vote to send "cod fax" investigation to the Committee of Privileges.
March 1995
Fresh allegations that Aitken knew about the arms deals with Iran in breach of the government embargo as he would have routinely seen BMARC company progress reports. Aitken denies knowledge of them.
April 1995
The Guardian reveals that Aitken's Paris Ritz hotel bill was paid by the Saudis. Screening of Granada's World in Action documentary, Jonathan of Arabia, about the business and personal dealings between Aitken and Mohammed bin Fahd. Among the programme's accusations, it is alleged that Aitken pimped for Saudi friends at a health farm.
10 April 1995
Jonathan Aitken announces he has issued writs against the Guardian and its editor-in-chief. Resigning from the Cabinet, he declares, "If it falls to me to start a fight to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism in our country with the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of fair play, so be it."
27 April 1995
Jonathan Aitken issues a writ for defamation against Granada.
June 1995
Commons motion reveals that Jonathan Aitken had signed a controversial "gagging order" - officially called a Public Interest Immunity Certificate (PIIC) - in September 1992 for the Matrix Churchill trial. The documents covered by the PIIC included reports relating to the supply of arms to Iraq by BMARC, of which he was a company director at the relevant time.
December 1995
Aitken sues the Guardian and Granada Television over their allegations about his role in BMARC.
May 1997
Loses his Thanet South seat in the General Election.
June 1997
Aitken's libel case against the Guardian and Granada collapses when evidence shows that he, his family and friends had lied to the court. Airline tickets show that his family could not have been in Paris during Aitken's stay in September 1993, and Aitken's claim that his wife paid the bill is false. He and his wife announce their separation soon afterwards, and he is stripped of his membership of the Privy Council.
March 1998
Aitken becomes a representative for the arms company GEC-Marconi, who are believed to have sought his Saudi connections. His £2m legal bill from the failed libel case remains unpaid. Aitken sells his house in Kent.
March 1998
Daughter Victoria and Said Ayas are arrested in connection with allegations of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Aitken himself is arrested soon afterwards. All are released on police bail.
May 1998
Just before being charged with perjury, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and perverting the course of justice, a newspaper report claims that Aitken plans to plea in his defence that he lied in order to conceal his role as a secret government intelligence intermediary. He later denies this and says he will use it only as a 'mitigating factor'. Said Ayas is also charged with conspiracy to pervert the cause of justice and perverting the cause of justice.
August 1998
The case against Victoria Aitken is dropped due to insufficient evidence.
January 1999
Pleads guilty at the Old Bailey to one charge of perjury and one charge of perverting the course of justice. He denies two further charges.
March 1999
The CPS drops charges against Said Ayas. Aitken is reported to have suffered a minor stroke.
May 1999
Aitken is made bankrupt by the High Court. He claims to have been forced into bankruptcy by the Guardian and Granada's refusal to accept a cash settlement of his outstanding legal bill. The Guardian rejects his reasons for bankruptcy, saying 'he has not paid a penny' of the bill he promised to pay 80% of.
The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.
Carl Jung - Aion (1951). CW 9, Part II: P.14