AN MP used his parliamentary privilege to name the "primary suspect" for the axe murder of a Gwent private eye.

In a debate at the House of Commons' Westminster Hall, Liberal Democrat MP Roger Williams also used his parliamentary privilege from any legal action to name a former police sergeant who Mr Williams says played a key role in the investigation of the murder of Cwmbran detective Daniel Morgan 17 years ago. No one has ever been convicted of his killing.

Mr Williams named Mr Morgan's business partner Jonathan Rees as the "primary suspect" for Mr Morgan's murder.

Mr Williams identified what he said was a 'relationship' between Mr Rees and the former police sergeant which led to the withdrawal of the officer from the murder squad.

Mr Williams said that was "for reasons of personal involvement with the primary suspect, Jonathan Rees".

But the debate was told by junior Home Office minister Caroline Flint that there was nothing to suggest police involvement in the murder, and that the coroner at Mr Morgan's inquest also said there was no evidence that any member of the murder team had taken deliberate action to prevent the murder from being properly detected.

Mr Williams is calling for a judicial inquiry into the case - along with former Culture Secretary Chris Smith, whose constituent is Mr Morgan's brother Alastair.

As we reported yesterday, that call was ruled out by Ms Flint in the debate. Mr Morgan, 37, was found with an axe embedded in his head in the car park of a south London pub in March 1987.

On Tuesday, Brecon and Radnorshire MP Mr Williams, whose constituent is Mr Morgan's mother Isobel Hulsmann, told the debate: "Detective Sergeant Sid Fillery conducted the first four so-called 'golden days' of the murder inquiry but was removed from the murder squad when his relationship with Jonathan Rees, Daniel Morgan's partner in Southern Investigations, was revealed. Sid Fillery went on to take up joint ownership of Southern Investigations and therefore benefited from Mr Morgan's death.

"During those four days Fillery was given the opportunity to manage the first interview under caution with Rees, and to take possession of key incriminating files from the premises of Southern Investigations Ltd, including Daniel's diary, which has never since been found."

Mr Williams told the debate that at an inquest in April 1988 which culminated in an unlawful killing verdict: "It emerged that Jonathan Rees had talked about having Daniel killed and arranging for police officers at Catford CID to be involved in the murder and its subsequent cover-up. That was according to the company book-keeper, Kevin Lennon."

The MP added: "Kevin Lennon also spoke of Fillery's intentions to retire from the Metropolitan police force on grounds of ill health and take up the vacant seat in Southern Investigations Ltd left by Daniel's death. That is exactly what happened, and to this day Fillery and Rees remain business partners in what was Daniel's private detective company."

'Family failed by justice system'

MP Roger Williams told the debate that Mr Morgan's family had been "failed" by the criminal justice system.

He said that the fourth inquiry last year into the murder resulted in the "senior officers in charge express their strong view that the evidence that they had gathered called out for a prosecution of the primary actors in the murder. Nevertheless the CPS declined to bring any such prosecution forcing the officers to accept that decision, while insisting that they disagreed with it."

Mr Williams also questioned the government's motives in not acceding to the request for a judicial inquiry.

The MP said: "Is it because they have something to hide, or is it because the implications of bringing the matter to a head are so far-reaching that they may make life uncomfortable for many in the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office?

"The government's attitude towards the murder of Daniel Morgan so far has been one not of openness, collaboration and firm, fair action, but of sustained damage limitation."

Judicial inquiry is way to go, says politician

MP CHRIS Smith said he was calling for the judicial inquiry: "Partly because of the case's longevity, partly because of the number of failed investigations that have led nowhere, and particularly because there had been serious question marks right from the word go about the possible involvement of police officers in either the murder or the frustration of subsequent investigations."

He added: "A public inquiry is the right way to try to resolve the issues surrounding the murder once and for all."

Promising another meeting between the family and Home Office Minister Hazel Blears, Ms Flint said: "I appreciate that Daniel Morgan's family are frustrated, disappointed and angry that no-one has been prosecuted for his murder and that there are lingering concerns about police officer involvement in the killing."

Rejecting calls for a judicial inquiry, she added: "After four investigations and a coroner's inquest, the government do not consider there to be a realistic prospect of uncovering new evidence."

She said another reason for the government's decision was that "there had been two independent scrutinies of the incident and we could not ignore the fact there was nothing to suggest police involvement in the murder."