Liam Fox claims thrown into doubt by hotel records

London: Defence secretary Liam Fox's claim that Adam Werritty was operating in ‘a private capacity' when the men met twice in the Gulf this year has been thrown into fresh doubt by hotel records seen by the Guardian.

They reveal that Werritty booked into the five-star hotel earlier this year describing his position as ‘office of Dr Liam Fox' and naming his company as ‘Atlantic Bridge', the defence secretary's controversial rightwing charity which had close links to a group of powerful American business lobbyists.

Hotel staff said it was normal, but not guaranteed, for the named company to pay all or part of the bill. Werritty also gave a contact address at the houses of parliament.

The official explanation of Werritty's role in Fox's life is being increasingly called into doubt by evidence from the countries where the pair travelled. Politicians in Colombo, the Sri Lankan commercial capital, revealed that they too assumed that Adam Werrity was an official adviser when he travelled there before and after Fox joined the cabinet. Ravi Karunanayake, an opposition MP in Colombo, confirmed meeting Fox in 2009.

"I simply thought he [Werritty] was an assistant or an official or something similar," Karunanayake told the Guardian.

Channel 4 claimed Werritty was being asked by the Sri Lankan government to help them lobby for arms and aviation supplies, although its sources have not been confirmed.

Sexuality rumours

UK Employment Minister Chris Grayling yesterday condemned rumour-mongering about the sexuality of Defence Secretary Liam Fox, who is under fire for allowing a male business friend who works in the sector to accompany him on official business trips abroad. "I've known Liam for many years. I know him and his wife and they have always struck me as being a very happily married couple. The reality is, the gossip is certainly circulating. I think we've got past the point in politics though where we needed to worry about people's private lives," Grayling said.