Michael Gove is facing fresh questions about the Kings Science Academy scandal after admitting investigators were never sent a report into apparent fraud.

The Department for Education (DfE) has sought to blame the Action Fraud reporting centre for the failure to pursue evidence of financial wrongdoing at the Bradford free school.

Indeed, Action Fraud has apologised for wrongly classifying its inquiry into Kings Science Academy as an ‘information report’ – rather than a crime report – back in September. As a result, a fraud probe was only finally started by West Yorkshire Police last month – after a leak revealed the mis-spending of £86,335 of taxpayers’ cash.

But Mr Gove’s deputy has now acknowledged that Action Fraud was not sent the full, crucial report by DfE auditors that laid bare those irregularities. In a written parliamentary answer, Ed Timpson, the Children’s Minister, stated: “The matter was referred to Action Fraud by the Department for Education on April 25, 2013. The Department supplied Action Fraud with all the critical information in the investigation report and all the information they requested. Action Fraud did not request a copy of the report.”

The admission was seized on by David Ward, Liberal Democrat MP for Bradford East, who has led criticism of the DfE’s actions over the free school, in Lidget Green. Mr Ward said: “How can a written report not be deemed to be critical information?

“How can it be right that Action Fraud was not given all information in April when the DfE first reported it and why – when told that Action Fraud did not have enough information – did DfE not supply it with more information?”

The criticism came as Mr Timpson ducked a barrage of criticism over the Kings Science Academy scandal during a Commons debate yesterday.

Mr Ward asked the minister if it was “acceptable” that: l A principal “with no experience even as a deputy, let alone a head teacher, was appointed without an interview”?

l £460,000 was spent on a temporary home at “an old school of which the principal’s father was a trustee”.

l Insurance was paid to a “company set up by a trust of which the principal’s father was a trustee”.

l The Education Funding Agency failed to investigate until December 2012, despite accountants finding “widespread financial irregularities” prior to the school opening.

l Alan Lewis – “a vice-chairman of the Conservative party” – provided a largely-derelict site and “received £10 million of public money to build the new school”.

l Mr Lewis will “receive £6m over a 20-year period, after which the building reverts back to his sole ownership”.

Mr Ward said: “If all those things are acceptable in the name of freedom, will the minister tell me just how corrupt a free school has to be to be unacceptable?”

But Mr Timpson made only one reference to Kings Science Academy, telling MPs: “We have a commitment to publish investigation reports, but we have to publish them at the right time.”

Three men have been interviewed under caution by detectives in the West Yorkshire Economic Crime Unit about suspected fraud by false representation at Kings Science Academy.