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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 26: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returns to 10 Downing Street after attending the weekly Prime Ministers Questions on January 26, 2022 in London, England. On Tuesday, the Met Police announced an investigation into the potential criminality of parties held in the Downing Street complex during the pandemic lockdowns. It is expected that the report from Sue Gray, the civil servant leading a government investigation into these parties, will still be released in the coming days.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson is embroiled in another controversy just days after an investigation was launched into his alleged "Partygate" scandal.
According to reports, Johnson previously said that he was not involved in the evacuation of animals from a British charity in Afghanistan shortly after the Taliban forces took over. But two leaked emails released by whistleblower Raphael Marshall proved otherwise.
Two leaked emails mentioned Boris Johnson's name
One of the emails was sent on Aug. 25, stating that Johnson authorized the evacuation of staff and animals from Nowzad, the charity run by former British Royal Marines Commander Pen Farthing.
Later that day, another email was sent saying that it was Johnson's decision to evacuate the staff at Nowzad. However, there was no mention of the animals that were rescued.
Farthing also confirmed that the staff and their families were rescued from Afghanistan together with 94 dogs and 68 cats. But the organization said that they didn't have any knowledge regarding who could and who couldn't be rescued at the time.
Downing Street also released a statement after the emails were released and said that Johnson did not authorize the evacuation of the staff and animals.
John Healey accused Boris Johnson of lying
But opposition leader John Healey blasted Johnson by saying that he lied to the British people again.
"Once again, the PM has been caught out lying. He should never have given priority to flying animals out of Afghanistan while Afghans who worked for our forces were left behind. We need to know why the PM overruled the Defense Secretary with this decision," he said via CNN.
At the time, UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace previously said that people should be prioritized in times of crisis. But he later said that those that are most at risk should be evacuated first in times of crisis.
Boris Johnson's 'Partygate' scandal revisited
Besides the evacuation debacle in Afghanistan, Johnson is also being investigated amid his "Partygate" scandal.
The British prime minister was accused of hosting and attending parties while the United Kingdom was on lockdown last year.
Conservative lawmakers urged Johnson to resign from his post following the shock revelation. However, the prime minister refused to do so, saying that he had no idea that the event he attended was a party because it was a work-related gathering, according to NPR.
France 24 also released a timeline of Johnson's "Partygate" scandal to give the public a better understanding of what really happened.
Their report revealed that Johnson's senior aide, Martin Reynolds, invited the staff to have socially distanced drinks at Downing Street, and 40 staff members accepted his invitation.
On June 19, 30 staff members attended Johnson's 56th birthday at Downing Street.
Months later, former adviser, Dominic Cummings was fired after revealing that a party was held on Nov. 13 at Johnson's apartment. England was on its second lockdown at the time. Several other gatherings also took place on Nov. 27, Dec. 14, Dec. 15, Dec. 17, Dec. 18, and April 21.
Related Article: British PM Boris Johnson Accused of Bullying, Blackmailing Government Officials Amid 'Partygate' Scandal
