Andy Coulson, the Met Police and Murdoch

[detective-boy]

Suggest you read Nick Davies' scrupulously thorough investigative work -- as I have throughout -- a lot more carefully, and try applying some objectivity.

I have read his stuff ... but it's scrupulous thoroughness makes no difference whatsoever to The Guardian's attitude to whether Coulson should be arrested and interviewed under caution or whether he should be interviewed as a witness without caution. Personally I would agree with what I think is clearly their view: that he should be nicked and interviewed under caution like anyone else suspected of serious crime.

The NoTW's already known behaviour overall is hardly worth anyone's strenuous defence. Even a few Tories are very concerned about it.

I'm not defending anything (and I'm not sure why you think otherwise ... ). I personally believe that all involved should be prosecuted to the fukll extent of the criminal law and should be sued for every fucking penny.

 

[agricola]

Belatedly seen this.

Suggest you read Nick Davies' scrupulously thorough investigative work -- as I have throughout -- a lot more carefully, and try applying some objectivity.

The NoTW's already known behaviour overall is hardly worth anyone's strenuous defence. Even a few Tories are very concerned about it.

I agree, but as Davies clearly demonstrates this issue is not just about Coulson and the NOTW, they werent even the worst offenders. It needs to be dealt with on the widest possible basis.

 

[hiccup]

Coulson staying put says "government source.

 

[laptop]

Coulson staying put says "government source.

Does he have the PM's "full confidence" or is it not that bad for him yet?

 

[Santino]

He's in court later today, as a witness in the Sheridan trial: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/coulson-faces-uncomfortable-day-in-court-2155002.html

 

[ymu]

In a change of policy which has significant implications for the prime minister's media adviser, Andy Coulson, who used to edit the paper, police have said they will no longer provide all public figures with a summary of potentially relevant phone-hacking evidence in their possession.

...

Scotland Yard has now changed its policy and their lawyers are replying to requests from public figures by telling them that they will hand over a summary of the material that was held on them by Mulcaire only if the public figure can persuade them that there are "reasonable grounds" for believing that their voicemail was intercepted.

One of the lawyers acting for suspected victims, Mark Lewis, from Taylor Hampton solicitors, said: "It's a bit like the police discovering that your house has been burgled, but you don't know that it's happened – and they won't tell you anything about it unless you can come up with your own evidence to show you've been a victim of the crime.

"It's a transparent attempt to stifle legal claims by concealing evidence. The police are obstructing justice."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/12/phone-hacking-scandal-information-move

They're getting desperate.

Perhaps they'd rather look incompetent than admit they're corrupt?

 

[kyser_soze]

Sienna Miller - prosecuting the bad kind of hacking.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/15/phone-hacking-sienna-miller-evidence

So it rumbles on, slowly climbing the greasy NOTW pole. Much like Watergate did for the Nixon administration.

 

[ymu]

I was about to post that, and I will, seeing as you couldn't be arsed to quote from it.

Lawyers have secured explosive new evidence linking one of the News of the World's most senior editorial executives to the hacking of voicemail messages from the phones of Sienna Miller, Jude Law and their friends and employees.

In a document lodged in the high court, the lawyers also disclose evidence that the hacking of phones of the royal household was part of a scheme commissioned by the newspaper and not simply the unauthorised work of its former royal correspondent, Clive Goodman, acting as a "rogue reporter", as it has previously claimed.

The 20-page document, written by Sienna Miller's solicitor, Mark Thomson, and barrister, Hugh Tomlinson, cites extracts from paperwork and other records that were seized by police from the News of the World's private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, in August 2006. The material has now been released to the lawyers on the orders of a high court judge.

more ...

 

[pk]

Coulson is a lying cunt, hope he's jailed for this.

 

[ymu]

Fuck Coulson. I hope to see a large proportion of the Met go down for this.

 

[kyser_soze]

I want to go and work somewhere that a non-executive manager can sign off on payments totally £100K without any kind of authorisation from anyone higher up. I'm also sure that Mr R Murdoch would be happy knowing that junior managers can authorise that level of remuneration to a freelancer.

 

[Santino]

Hello, what's this...

News of the World news editor suspended over 'serious allegation' of phone hacking. More details soon

 

[London_Calling]

Hello, what's this...

Actually, it's ello, ello . .

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

This is likely to do with Sienna Miller's action against the NOTW.

 

[hiccup]

More grist to the mill:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/jan/06/news-of-the-world-phone-hacking-keir-starmer

 

[Streathamite]

This is likely to do with Sienna Miller's action against the NOTW.

It certainly is!

 

[kyser_soze]

This is like Watergate. It's slowly working it's way up the chain of command.

 

[agricola]

More grist to the mill:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/jan/06/news-of-the-world-phone-hacking-keir-starmer

Perhaps, though as I said earlier in the thread Greenslade should remember what happened to previous investigations of the kind he is demanding - how utterly disinterested (with a very few exceptions) a deeply compromised Fleet Street were in reporting it, the total lack of support that politicians gave to the Police and CPS, and the laughable sentences that were handed out at the end of it, even though at least one of the investigations (Operation Motorman) involved allegations of far more serious criminal activity (active corruption of public servants, including police officers and staff, breaches of secure databases) than the current scandal does.

I can well understand why the Met and CPS might not want to reopen such an investigation - given the vast cost it will entail, the very low likelyhood of any kind of decent sentences at the end of it, the immense pressure that will be brought to them (one suspects that, once Coulson goes all the outraged commentators will slink off) and, most of all, the vast scale of what will be (indeed, what has been if Motorman is any guide) uncovered by any kind of serious and in-depth look at what the Press have been doing... after all, the behaviour that is being criticized is not limited to the NOTW.

 

[laptop]

(Operation Motorman) involved allegations of far more serious criminal activity (active corruption of public servants, including police officers and staff, breaches of secure databases) than the current scandal does.

Deeply unfortunate name for the operation.

Ta v much for the link, though... yes, once Coulson goes there could well be a rustle of things swept back under carpets... or once the Murdoch/Sky thing is over... or...

 

[Santino]

Drip, drip...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/08/phone-hacking-police-murdoch-coulson?CMP=twt_fd

The scandal threatening to engulf the News of the World will intensify this week when the Metropolitan police hands over previously undisclosed documents relating to the hacking of celebrities' mobile phones while the paper was edited by Andy Coulson, David Cameron's communications director.

 

[teqniq]

And yet more....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/14/dpp-news-of-the-world-phone-hacking

The Crown Prosecution Service yesterday announced that it would mount a "comprehensive" review of phone-hacking material held by the Metropolitan police in a dramatic volte-face prompted by recent revelations in the courts......

 

[Santino]

According to Tom Watson (Lab MP) Coulson's departure from Downing Street has been pencilled in for 25th January.

 

[Santino]

Paul Gascoigne has arrived on this thread with a chicken and a fishing rod.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/15/paul-gascoigne-phone-hacking

Paul Gascoigne, the former England footballer, is to become the latest celebrity to sue the News of the World, alleging that he was a victim of the phone-hacking scandal that has rocked Rupert Murdoch's media empire.

 

[laptop]

Paul Gascoigne has arrived on this thread with a chicken and a fishing rod.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/15/paul-gascoigne-phone-hacking

the comedian Steve Coogan has also issued proceedings and that Chris Tarrant, the television presenter, and the jockey Kieren Fallon are expected to launch legal actions soon.

These are all moves to discredit the campaign to prosecute the NotW? Can't we have Stephen Hawking or Dame Maggie Smith or someone with... gravitas?

 

[laptop]

According to Tom Watson (Lab MP) Coulson's departure from Downing Street has been pencilled in for 25th January.

Where's that from? His website is redirecting to some online pharmacy...

 

[Santino]

Where's that from? His website is redirecting to some online pharmacy...

http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2011/01/12/a-snap-election-promises-cameron-the-glory-he-craves/

2nd paragraph.

 

[laptop]

http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2011/01/12/a-snap-election-promises-cameron-the-glory-he-craves/

2nd paragraph.

Ta...

I challenged Clegg in the members’ lobby over his decision to break the convention on how by-elections are called by Parliament. It wasn’t his response that was interesting. It was his demeanour. Some people find me a little brusque on occasion, but I wasn’t being rude or particularly direct with the deputy PM.

His face was pallid and drawn over with worry lines. His eyes couldn’t maintain contact with mine. He almost covered his face with his arms. It was as if he wanted to roll up into the foetal position. He is a most unhappy man.

Er, maybe. But not that unusual a response from a Cabinet minister accosted by a differently-sane MP

 

[teqniq]

Interesting use of words by Dave the rave (or lack of them):

David Cameron said today he has given Andy Coulson, his director of communications, a "second chance" following revelations about phone-hacking at News of the World when he was editor and warned that his aide should not be "punished twice for the same offence"......

...But he notably did not say, as he as done in previous comments about the affair, that he accepted his PR chief's assurances that he had been unaware of hacking during his editorship of the tabloid.

Cameron said that "bad things happened" when Coulson was editor of the News of the World, but resigned "when he found out about them", which the prime minister said was "the right thing to do".

"I almost think there is a danger at the moment that he is effectively being punished twice for the same offence. I judge his work by what he has done for us ... I gave him a second chance. I think in life sometimes it's right to give someone a second chance. He resigned for what went wrong at News of the World. I would just argue working for the government, I think he has done a good job."

In relation to the bit I've put in bold, not really Dave because if he actually did know what was going on then surely that's a criminal offence which he hasn't been tried for?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jan/17/david-cameron-andy-coulson-second-chance

 

[Streathamite]

This is like Watergate.

it really is, isn't it? It just keeps getting better and better, with the reputation of both the met and NOTW receiving a fresh kicking each day

 

[laptop]

Looks like Dave's pre-distancing himself from Andy, to me...