Monitoring Julian Assange has cost the UK government up to £10 million
It's easy to forget that Julian Assange is still cooped up inside London's Ecuadorian embassy. The WikiLeaks founder entered the building back in June 2012 to escape extradition and ever since, Metropolitan Police officers have been stationed outside, waiting patiently just in case he ever decides to leave. It might not sound like the most costly operation, but over the years it's racked up quite a bill for the UK government. Earlier this month the Met revealed that policing the embassy had cost an estimated £9 million up until October last year. That equates to roughly £10,500 per day --- and if you project that forward, it means the entire affair has now crossed the £10 million mark. Of course, this is all merely an approximation, but it further highlights the costs involved in the Assange affair. Last summer, the man himself revealed that he would be leaving the embassy "soon," but since then there's been no sign of his imminent departure. Unless his health or legal circumstances change, the bill for the UK government is only going to increase.
[Image Credit: AP Photo / John Stillwell, POOL]
