UK PM Johnson's apartment refurbishment triggers investigation

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during his visit to a farm in Wrexham, Wales, Britain April 26, 2021. Paul Ellis/Pool via REUTERS

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's Electoral Commission began an investigation on Wednesday into the refurbishment of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Downing Street apartment, saying there were grounds to suspect an offence may have been committed.

Johnson's opponents say he may have broken British rules by letting party donors secretly contribute tens of thousands of pounds to a luxury renovation of his living quarters. In a hot-tempered appearance in parliament on Wednesday, Johnson repeatedly insisted he had covered the cost of the renovation himself, though he avoided directly answering whether he had done so only after the fact, once the scandal had emerged.