The Big Breach - Index of

The Big Breach; From Top Secret to Maximum SecurityCompliments of http://www.192.comThe court clerk bade me sit down at a desk a dignified distance fromthe panel. Lord Justice Brown, the chairman, spoke first, explainingtheir powers of investigation and outlining their understanding of mycase. It was several minutes before I was invited to speak. `Can I beassured that you will take the decision only on papers that I have seenmyself?' I asked, aware of Wadham's warning.Lord Justice Simon Brown paused for reflection before replying. `Thereare indeed papers here that you have not seen and will not see,' hegravely admitted, indicating the thick pile of papers on which theywere taking their decision. He was clearly uncomfortable with thisbasic betrayal of a fundamental legal principle. `I am sorry to saythat we cannot be more transparent. We can only work within the termsof the Act.' The huge pile of papers that they were examining, far morethan personnel department had ever shown to me, was not encouraging.Personnel had probably rewritten most it, knowing I could not contestits veracity. My prospects of success were non-existent.In November, I took a short holiday in South Africa to visit my uncleand aunt and to follow some of the England cricket tour of the country.I could scarcely afford the trip but I'd made the commitment before mydismissal. Later I learned that my trip had cost MI6 far more.Concerned that in my disaffected state I might be vulnerable torecruitment by South African counter-intelligence, they pulled myfriend Milton out of the country and cancelled the whole undercoveroperation. In fact, the South Africans made no approach and I wouldn'thave cooperated if they had done. But rather than just interviewing meon my return, MI6 wrote off many thousands of pounds of taxpayers'money.The tribunal were unable to give a date or even a time-frame for theirdecision. Over the coming months Dimmock wrote several letters urgingme to accept help from PD/PROSPECT, but they went straight in the bin.Conceding to their help would be like accepting a set of false teethfrom somebody who had just kicked my face in. Besides, even if theydragged me kicking and screaming into one of their tame companies inthe City, my previous experience in management consultancy had been sodisastrous and unpleasant that I would not last a week.I had a lot of spare time on my hands and little cash. The littleoutstanding DIY tasks in my flat and garden were soon completed. Havingno money curtailed my enjoyment of London's nightlife, my sacking cutme off from mixing with colleagues in the office, and unemployment leftme feeling ostracised from outside friends. I needed to find a newactivity to keep myself occupied. By chance, walking down King's Roadone afternoon I bumped into a former girlfriend and together wespontaneously bought a set of rollerblades and tried them out in HydePark. After an hour of cuts and bruises, she gave up and never usedthem again. But the sport hooked me and thereafter every waking hourwas spent blading around the myriad paths of Hyde Park, KensingtonGardens and Regent's Park. I soon fell in with a gang of hardcorebladers who were also rarely employed, amongst them Shaggy and Winston,two dread-locked black guys who had been blading together sincechildhood. They were an eclectic bunch, but good fun and a refreshingchange from MI6 staff. However, my money could not last forever.page- 148 - To purchase the original limited edition hardback version of this bookplease call 08000 192 192 or go to http://www.192.com