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  # 2801.....Courtesy Independent............
  
  Courtesy Guardian............
  
  Patrick Mercer could face police questions under Bribery Act
  
  Target of 'sting' operation may have to leave office if police decide to launch investigation
  
  Patrick Mercer signs a contract with the fake lobbying company set up by BBC Panorama.
  
  Scotland Yard could launch an investigation into potential breaches of the 2010 Bribery Act
  
  by Tory MP Patrick Mercer. The Observer understands that at least one MP is preparing a
  
  complaint that could spark a Met probe into whether Mercer has broken the law, amid allegations
  
  that he tabled parliamentary questions on behalf of a lobbying firm paying him thousands of pounds.
  
  The revelation raises the prospect that Mercer could be subjected to a criminal investigation, the
  
  first into an MP since the act was introduced. Those found guilty under the act can be subject to
  
  prison sentences running up to 10 years if the case goes to a full trial.
  
  A potential defence against any charge could be parliamentary privilege - the right of MPs to ask
  
  questions without fear of being subject to legal action. However, if police were to launch an inquiry
  
  , it would raise questions about whether Mercer could remain in office until the next election. He
  
  has said he plans to stand down in 2015 and has already resigned the whip to "save my party
  
  embarrassment" and referred himself to the parliamentary commissioner for standards

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