David Mackintosh: I want answers over missing money

David Mackintosh said he wanted to know what happened to the missing money

A former Conservative MP cleared in court over his donations said he did not know what happened to a missing multi-million pound loan he oversaw.

David Mackintosh was acquitted alongside another man of not disclosing the true source of £39,000 paid to his election campaign.

A loan of £10.25m to Northampton Town Football Club by the local council while he was its leader remains largely unaccounted for.

He said: "I hope we get answers".

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Operation Tuckhill, the police inquiry which led to Mr Mackintosh's prosecution, was originally sparked by the disappearance of the money loaned by Northampton Borough Council to the club in various tranches between 2013 and 2014.

Speaking to BBC Radio Northampton, Mr Mackintosh said: "Obviously, as part of this investigation, some information has come to light but there are still huge gaps.

"People really assume because I was leader at the time I do have more of an insight than I really do. I remain as baffled by this as probably most people listening.

"I would dearly like to know the answer. It's one of the missing pieces in the jigsaw. Clearly as a council I think we made mistakes."

Mr Mackintosh was prosecuted over payments to his political campaign in the first ever trial under election law prohibiting disguised donations.

Another man, Hertfordshire property developer Howard Grossman, also walked free.

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The court heard Mr Mackintosh was unaware the money had originally come from Mr Grossman.

It also heard that Mr Grossman was told by the then treasurer of the Northampton South Conservative Association, Suresh Patel, to make the payments via third parties.

Five of those individuals had previously been convicted under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 and two are awaiting sentencing.

The court heard that the donations were paid out of a bank account belonging to Mr Grossman's company, 1st Land Ltd.

The BBC previously reported how civil court documents revealed 1st Land was passed at least £7m out of the loan shortly after the money was paid by the council to the football club under its previous owners.

The work was never completed after contractors walked off site having not been paid.

In November 2015, a BBC investigation exposed three of the donations of £10,000 each.

A follow-up in 2017 revealed six further donations of £1,500.

Following his acquittal, Mr Grossman referred requests for comment to his representative, who has so far not responded.

Mr Grossman had previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to the loan money and 1st Land.

The jury was told there was no bribery or corruption linked to the case, though at previous hearings the court was told a bribery charge had been considered by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Mr Mackintosh said: "Today is an important day for me in clearing my name.

"I do think there remain wider questions that still need to be answered and I'm absolutely at the front of the queue wanting to know them."

The interview with David Mackintosh can be heard on BBC Northampton between 06:00 and 10:00 GMT on Wednesday or again on BBC Sounds.