Andy Coulson, the Met Police and Murdoch

[ferrelhadley]

There were two who were jailed but received substantial payouts from News International. If that payout was in anway conditional on them remaining quiet is there not a possible charge of perversion of the course of justice?

 

[ymu]

Good.

George Galloway was pointing out that he was an MP when hacked so it's contempt of parliament. Didn't that business minister say this stuff couldn't be taken into account for the bsb bid?

Apparently, because its been referred on the basis of competition it cannot also be referred on the grounds that they're dodgy fuckers. Sounds like the kind of excuse the CPS would be proud to come up with ...

 

[ymu]

Brooks called in for questioning.

Detectives investigating illegal news-gathering at the News of the World are planning to question Rebekah Brooks, the paper's former editor who is now Rupert Murdoch's chief executive in the UK, according to police sources.

The revelation came on the day that Brooks denied to MPs that she had "knowledge of any specific cases" of police officers being paid for information by any newspaper – despite having told MPs eight years ago that her journalists had paid officers in the past.

It is understood that Brooks now faces questioning from Operation Weeting, Scotland Yard's third attempt to investigate the interception of voicemail messages by News of the World journalists. At the same time, the Guardian has established that during an earlier inquiry Scotland Yard was so concerned by allegations that the paper was paying bribes to serving officers and other key workers that it tapped Brooks's telephone. Police found no evidence that she had committed any offence.

The tapping of her phone was carried out with a Home Office warrant early in 2004 as part of an inquiry by Scotland Yard's anti-corruption command into allegations that the News of the World was bribing serving officers, buying confidential data from the police national computer and making regular cash payments of up to £1,000 a week to employees of phone companies who were selling information from the accounts of public figures.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/apr/11/rebekah-brooks-phone-hacking

 

[laptop]

In a joint statement on Monday Yates and Starmer said: "Neither of us had responsibility for this case at the time it was originally prosecuted. We have, therefore, both sought to interpret, as best we can, the original documentation and the recollections of those involved. The relevant information is now in the public domain.

"We, and others in our organisations, would now like to focus together on the current investigation, in the same way that we work closely and constructively on a daily basis on numerous other cases and complex issues."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/apr/11/rebekah-brooks-phone-hacking

Translation: our respective PR departments have banged our heads together. We have established in our evidence to Parliament that one of us us lying, to Parliament. Please do not ask which.

 

[ymu]

Sounds about right.

 

[Badgers]

38 Degrees email:

We've teamed up with Avaaz to demand the government calls a full inquiry into phone hacking, and halt the BSkyB takeover process until all the facts have been established. [3] We will be delivering the emergency petition this Friday.

http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/Murdoch_BSkyB_takeover_phone_hacking_petition#petition

 

[hiccup]

Oh bravo:

http://www.newstatesman.com/newspapers/2011/04/phone-yeah-cameron-murdoch

Me: So, have you been leant on by the NoW, News International, since you blew the whistle?

Him: No, they've kept their distance. I mean, there's people who have much better records - my records are non-existent. There are people who actually have tapes and transcripts they did for Andy Coulson.

Me: And where are these tapes and transcripts? Do you think they've been destroyed?

Him: No, I'm sure they're saving them till they retire.

 

[teqniq]

^^
Hehehe.

 

[butchersapron]

News of the World assistant news editor James Weatherup has been arrested...Guardian newsflash thing

edit: that's twice today they've flashed an untrue story - it's a 'senior journalist'.

 

[Badgers]

News of the World assistant news editor James Weatherup has been arrested...Guardian newsflash thing

This is the best news I have had all day, just mentioned on the BBC radio too

 

[hiccup]

story on the beeb now: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13078353

 

[Barking_Mad]

Hugh Grant - Bugging the Bugger

Great piece

Me But if you could, would you think that was illegal? Do you think that should be illegal?
Him I'd have to say quite possibly, yeah. I'd say that should be illegal.
Me But a mobile phone - a digital phone . . . you'd say it'd be all right to tap that?
Him I'm not sure about that. So we went from a point where anyone could listen in to anything. Like you, me, journalists could listen in to corrupt politicians, and this is why we have a reasonably fair society and a not particularly corrupt or criminal prime minister, whereas other countries have Gaddafi. Do you think it's right the only person with a decent digital scanner these days is the government? Whereas 20 years ago we all had a go? Are you comfortable that the only people who can listen in to you now are - is it MI5 or MI6?

 

[nick h.]

News of the World assistant news editor James Weatherup has been arrested...Guardian newsflash thing

edit: that's twice today they've flashed an untrue story - it's a 'senior journalist'.

He was News Editor several years ago when I sold him a story. I can't say I'm surprised he's caught up in this. Then again, who isn't guilty? I haven't read the thread, so apologies if this has been said, but all the tabloids and plenty of the broadsheets have been behaving as if they're MI5 for years. Going through bins, putting tracking devices on cars, buying secrets from hotel staff, secretaries, nurses, gym employees etc. Look how brazen Rebekah Wade was about bribing the Police - she thinks it's normal. No doubt wi-fi hacking is rife. They probably think it's no worse than telephoto lenses and directional microphones. Everything is justifiable when you're chasing a story - it's all in the public interest! The only surprise in all this is that the Guardian is ratting people out. Journalists are supposed to look after each other. They often move from a tabloid to a broadsheet or the other way. So nobody spits in the soup. Privacy laws hurt everyone. Perhaps the Guardian thinks it's whiter than white? Or that fucking over Murdoch and the Tories justifies the breaking of omerta? Where will it all end?

 

[Kippa]

If it is proven that phone tapping abuse was systemic in some/most/all of Murdoch's media outlet that this could be big enough to bring the Murdoch empire down?

 

[Santino]

A criminal investigation into claims journalists paid police officers for information is being considered by Scotland Yard, it has been confirmed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13092045

 

[Streathamite]

Hugh Grant - Bugging the Bugger

Great piece

That almost earns him a pardon from the revolutionary firing squad that Love, Actually earnt him.
good show, useless posh twat

 

[Streathamite]

The only surprise in all this is that the Guardian is ratting people out. Journalists are supposed to look after each other. They often move from a tabloid to a broadsheet or the other way. So nobody spits in the soup. Privacy laws hurt everyone. Perhaps the Guardian thinks it's whiter than white? Or that fucking over Murdoch and the Tories justifies the breaking of omerta?

I believe it's their attempt to stop the BSkyB buy-up

 

[redsquirrel]

Love, Actually

Revolting film

 

[Streathamite]

Revolting film

indeed - hence the reevolutionary firing squad.
Mine will be a revolution with exquisite taste

 

[newbie]

A criminal investigation into claims journalists paid police officers for information is being considered by Scotland Yard, it has been confirmed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13092045

curious, isn't it, that the police didn't think it worth following that up in 2003. Coincidence, of course, that just then a certain prime minister needed all the political help he could get. And another coincidence that the whole hacking story has only really resurfaced since the last election.

 

[agricola]

Curious, isn't it, that the police didn't think it worth following that up in 2003. Coincidence, of course, that just then a certain prime minister needed all the political help he could get. And another coincidence that the whole hacking story has only really resurfaced since the last election.

I dunno, they were following up similar allegations as part of Operation Motorman at much the same time as Wade made these comments, and that investigation did contain allegations that police employees (both officers and staff, albeit it was only a civilian that faced charges) had been paid for information.

 

[newbie]

well yes, the scandal was exposed, acknowledged and then quietly ignored so that no boats were rocked, particularly boats that might have political implications.

Now, of a sudden, there's 45 cops working on phone hacking and a possible investigation into remarks made 8 years ago. It's hard to believe that there isn't something going on below the surface.

 

[ferrelhadley]

It still seems a case that seems to need someone to start talking on. They need to get some weight on someone to start naming names and going up the food chain.

 

[stavros]

Has it been raised in either House yet? Prescott, as a victim, would be the obvious source for the Lords, especially now out of government he seems to have miraculously found the ability to criticise the Murdoch press.

 

[Santino]

Tom Watson has been on it for a long time in the Commons.

 

[stavros]

You're right, I had seen him but somehow forgot about it. Have the Lords woken from their slumbers at all to discuss it?

 

[Santino]

One Lord has:

 

[laptop]

Phone hacking: How the Met 'misled courts, parliament and public' Grauniad is relentless: bless!

 

[ymu]

Phone hacking: How the Met 'misled courts, parliament and public' Grauniad is relentless: bless!

Yeah, the Guardian does give good mission.

 

[Santino]

Yeah, the Guardian does give good mission.

They must either think that they're in the clear of any similar accusations, or be desperate to establish their credentials as the anti-hacking paper in the hope that any mud that does come their way doesn't stick too much.