Originally from: Molly Maxwell
                        
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From: ...

Originally from: "Ananova" <533...>
To: Molly Maxwell <...>
Subject: Staff suspended in expenses inquiry – Ananova Alerting
Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 12:33:14 GMT

A government department is suspending 18 members of staff as part of an investigation into expenses claims during the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The move has been confirmed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The employees are all based at the Exeter office of Defra, formerly the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Maff). The suspensions all involve permanent members of staff.