British government given 48 hours to turn over Boris Johnson files in COVID-19 probe

May 30 (UPI) -- The judge-led public inquiry into Britain's response to the COVID-19 pandemic granted ministers Tuesday a further two days to turn over WhatsApp messages and notebooks of then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The Cabinet Office now has until Thursday afternoon to hand over the documents and messages or verify claims it does not have the evidence being sought.

"The inquiry was informed that the Cabinet Office does not have in its possession either Mr Johnson's WhatsApp messages or Mr Johnson's notebooks, as sought in the original section 21 notice," a notice from the inquiry read.

"The notice has been varied so that if the Cabinet Office maintains its position that it does not hold specified materials, it must provide in substitute a witness statement from a senior civil servant, verified by a statement of truth."

Retired Appeal Court judge Baroness Heather Hallett subpoenaed notebooks and diaries and WhatsApp messages between Johnson and ministers and officials to be turned over -- unredacted -- two weeks before the hearing officially begins on June 13, but the Cabinet Office is weighing challenging the ruling in court.

It claims some of the material is not relevant and government lawyers are said to have advised that the inquiry does not have the power to compel the Cabinet Office to disclose it.

The government is also worried the unredacted messages could result in unrelated personal information being released publicly, that handing over the material could be a violation of privacy law, and of a "potential adverse impact on policy formulation in the future".

Hallett said it was her job to decide what was relevant, not the government.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the government was "carefully considering its position but it is confident in the approach that it's taking."

Johnson, who is said to have no objection to the evidence being handed to the inquiry, was last week referred to the police for further possible breaches of lockdown rules after his ministerial diary allegedly showed he held gatherings of family and friends at his country residence when he was in office in 2020 and 2021.