Published by the Guardian
July 21 2011
With David Leigh
James Murdoch appears to have given misleading parliamentary testimony about a key phone-hacking cover-up, according to evidence obtained by the Guardian.
Rupert Murdoch’s son sought to deny that “astronomic sums” had been secretly paid out to a hacking victim as hush-money. He told MPs the company’s legal advice was [...]
Published by the Guardian
July 20 2011
At one point yesterday afternoon, the Murdochs were asked what coaching they had received in preparation for the hearing. “We were told to tell the truth, to be as open and as transparent as possible,” came the reply. It was a little more sophisticated than that.
Their performance strongly suggested that [...]
Published by The Guardian
July 19 2011
The search for the truth about the ties that bind Scotland Yard to News International is now likely to focus on the role of one man – Dick Fedorcio, director of public affairs for the Metropolitan Police.
Normally hidden in the wings, Fedorcio today is being hauled out into the [...]
Published by The Guardian
July 18 2011
At a time when the reputation of News of the World journalists is at rock bottom, it needs to be said that the paper’s former showbusiness correspondent Sean Hoare, who died yesterday, was a lovely man.
In the saga of the phone-hacking scandal, he distinguished himself by being the first former [...]
Published by The Guardian
July 18 2011
In his resignation statement, Sir Paul Stephenson struggled to come to terms with the facts which have trapped him.
First, he attempted to deal with his relationship with Neil Wallis, the former deputy editor of the News of the World, who was arrested last week on suspicion of phone-hacking, [...]
Published by The Guardian
July 18 2011
MPs on the culture, media and sport select committee are likely to follow two main tracks in their questioning tomorrow (Tuesday) of Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks: did you have knowledge of illegal activity; are you now genuinely committed to exposing it? For the MPs, the task is [...]
Published by the Guardian
July 13 2011
Evidence given yesterday by John Yates, the Metropolitan police assistant commissioner, to the home affairs select committee left a number of unanswered questions about his handling of the phone-hacking investigation.
* His actions in July 2009
On 9 July 2009, the Guardian published a story that revived the hacking affair. Later that [...]
Published by the Guardian
July 13 2011
The former prime minister Gordon Brown has condemned “the most disgusting work” of News International journalists for using known criminals to invade the privacy and feelings of ordinary people, and accused the company of abusing its power for political gain.
Brown was reacting to revelations that News International journalists had attempted [...]
Published by The Guardian
July 11 2011
with David Leigh
Journalists from Rupert Murdoch’s News International repeatedly targeted the former prime minister Gordon Brown, attempting to access his voicemail, and obtaining information from his bank account, his legal file and his family’s medical records.
There is also evidence that a private investigator used a serving police officer to trawl [...]
Published by The Guardian
July 12 2011
with David Leigh
An unexpected ruling by a judge six years ago effectively covered up the chance to publicly expose evidence of the illegal targeting of Gordon Brown, which had been unearthed by a startled team of provincial detectives.
Operation Reproof, by police in Plymouth, revealed the first of what became many [...]
