In 1995, Jonathan Aitken, a British Conservative MP and Cabinet minister was accused of conducting controversial arms deals with Saudi tycoons. The story was published on the frontpages of several major newspapers, and despite the evidence presented, Aitken insisted on rejecting the charges. Infamously, he declared that he would combat them with the “sword of truth”, repeatedly lying to courts and forcing his family to do the same. Eventually, the web of deceit that Aitken had spun entrapped even him, and he was forced into a position where an accusation of perjury was inevitable. When the time came for him to answer for his criminal behaviour, he was brought before a court in 1999 and sentenced to 18 months in prison for the crime of perjury. Bankrupted and disgraced, Aitken was forcefully retired from politics. He left prison after serving seven months of his 18-month sentence, and found work in the Church of England where he continues to serve to this day as a Deacon.
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