Clarion Events (DSEI organiser) how do you enforce the law

An open letter to:

Russell Wilcox

Chief executive officer

Clarion Events Ltd

Bedford House

Fulham High Street

London

SW6 3JW

Dear Mr Wilcox,

As I am sure you are aware, eight of us were tried for obstructing the highway outside the Excel Centre during the set-up of the DSEI exhibition last year, and that we were acquitted on the grounds that we were attempting to prevent crime.  In particular, the judge said:

“the court has been presented with clear, credible and largely unchallenged evidence from three experts that criminal wrongdoing had occurred at past DSEI exhibitions involving the sale of arms to countries which then used those arms against civilian populations and the sale of items that were inherently unlawful such as cluster munitions and items designed for torture and inappropriate restraint. There was, as a result, a compelling inference that such activities would also take place at the 2015 DSEI exhibition.
“The court was also presented with clear, credible and largely unchallenged evidence that such criminal activities are not being properly investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted.”

Clarion events has consistently claimed that it was ensuring that the law was being enforced by yourselves and the government.

In view of the statement from the judge, and your contradiction of this I would be grateful if you could tell me how you ensure the law is upheld.  What is your inspection regime? And how many of your 155 UK employees or 500 worldwide employees are devoted to ensuring that all exhibitors obey the law, at DSEI and other arms exhibitions that you hold.

Please note that I am asking about the efforts that you have made I am also writing to the Metropolitan Police, HMRC and the National Crime Agency.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Tom Franklin