Fresh questions have been raised over a failed £15 million investigation into care home neglect following the death of the man at its centre.
Operation Jasmine spanned seven years and was launched after the death of an 84-year-old woman at a care home in Newbridge.
Police investigated the deaths of 63 people in care homes across South East Wales, including two in Caerphilly County Borough.
Dr Prana Das was facing charges of fraud as well as Health and Safety charges when his trial collapsed in 2013 after he suffered a brain injury following an attack by burglars.
Paul Black – the chief executive of Dr Das’ care home company Puretruce Healthcare Ltd, which is now defunct – was also facing Health and Safety related charges.
It was deemed “inappropriate” at the time to continue with the prosecution of Mr Black by the trial judge.
Charges for both men lay on file, meaning the prosecution could have resumed.
According to an independent review of Operation Jasmine, conducted by Dr Margaret Flynn at the behest of Welsh Government, the two men “should have and could have been prosecuted”.
Caerphilly MP Wayne David raised concerns about the practices of Dr Das’ company in Parliament in 2005.
He has now written to Gwent Police asking if the case against Mr Black will now be looked at again following Dr Das’ death on January 8.
In his letter to Chief Constable Pam Kelly he wrote: “At the time [of the trial’s collapse in 2013] I made the point that as Paul Black was perfectly able to stand trial himself, then the case ought to proceed against him. I am not entirely clear why this did not happen.
“I would be appreciative if you could shed some light on this. This issue has been raised with me because, I am told, that Dr Das has died.”
He continued: “Now that Dr Das has died, there is a material change in the situation and there could well be a case for the trial to proceed with only Paul Black as defendant.”
The decision to charge Mr Black under Health and Safety legislation meant Gwent Police was working with the Health and Safety Executive – which led the prosecution.
A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive told Caerphilly Observer the case would “unlikely recommence” but failed to give an adequate reason why.
A spokeswoman for Gwent Police said the Chief Constable would be responding to Mr David in due course and that it would be “inappropriate for us to share our response with you at this stage”.
Pre-inquest hearings took place last autumn into the deaths of Dorothea Hale, Evelyn Jones, Stanley Bradford and Edith Evans.
They died at two homes – Ms Hale at Bargoed’s Grovesnor Nursing Home and the others at Brithdir.
A jury inquest is expected to be held in due course.