keith-vaz
Keith Vaz (Photo: Press Association)

Member of British Parliament and father of two, Keith Vaz has quit his chairmanship of the Home Affairs Select Committee. This was after an audio recording of his interaction with two gay prostitutes in his apartment were exposed to the Sunday Mirror, a UK newspaper.

The committee Keith headed, was one of the most important committees in the British Parliament as it handles probes into affairs such as immigration, drugs and sex workers. The 59 year old Vaz who has also apologized to his wife and children publicly released a statement saying:

“It is in the best interest of the Home Affairs Select Committee that its important work can be conducted without any distractions whatsoever.

“I am genuinely sorry that recent events make it impossible for this to happen if I remain Chair. I have always been passionate about Select Committees, having served as either Chair or Member for half of my time in Parliament. The integrity of the Select Committee system matters to me. Those who hold others to account, must themselves be accountable.”

The UK newspaper revealed how the MP was leading a double life, paying young male prostitutes for sex. Only a few weeks after his committee’s prostitution report, he paid money to two escorts to visit a flat he owns near his family home in Edgware, North West London. It was revealed that Vaz had at least two meetings with the prostitutes from Eastern Europe.

In the 90-minute meeting on August 27, Vaz who served as British Minister of State for Europe offered to pay for cocaine if it was brought to the flat but said he did not want any himself. Thereport also revealed how Vaz, tried to hide his identity from the prostitutes by telling them he was a washing machine salesman named Jim.

The tape recording has Mr Vaz saying: “We need to get this party started”even as he requested for unprotected homosexual intercourse.