Phone hacking scandal deepens

[Jan Klimkowski]

The top cops accuse the Murdoch empire of prevarication, lies and obstruction.

A "fit and proper" company? Clearly not.

However, surely if a detective suspects that their investigation is being obstructed and they are being lied to, then the obstructive liars should be the focus of renewed questioning and investigation.

What did Scotland Yard do?

Top copper Andy Hayman declared that his investigative team had "left no stone unturned", and there was no evidence of widespread wrongdoing.

Hayman quit the Met in 2008, and shortly afterwards started writing articles for News International.


mileymad:mileymad:mileymad:


Some quotes:

Asst Commissioner John Yates:

The assistant commissioner said News International had "clearly misled us", meaning that police could not appreciate the "scope and scale" of the hacking.

"They simply did not provide us with evidence at the time," he said.

Asked if he had ever been paid by journalists, Mr Yates said: "That's an amazing question - and I have never, ever, ever received any payment of that sort."

But he said some corruption in the Metropolitan police was inevitable: "We're an organisation of 50,000 people, we have always said from time immemorial that some of those 50,000 people will be corrupt and accept payments."

Former Deputy Asst Commissioner Peter Clarke:

The retired officer also accused News International of "prevarication and lies" and said it "deliberately tried to thwart the criminal investigation".

"Very little material" was given to police by the company, said Mr Clarke.

"We were unable to spread the inquiry further with News International because of their refusal to co-operate more broadly."

Former Asst Commissioner Andy Hayman:

Mr Hayman, who was in overall command of the original inquiry, supported his colleagues and reiterated their view that the original hacking inquiry did all it could with the information it was able to obtain.

"Everything we could do within the resources and parameters of investigation was done", he said.

But he also admitted that in hindsight the decision not to spend more time on the case appeared "lame".

Mr Hayman also confirmed that he had gone for dinner with News International employees during the investigation, but denied he was ever in its "back pocket".

He said the meetings were "business-like" and that he was always accompanied by the Met's head of communications.

The dinners were before the arrests of News of the World journalists Glenn Mulcaire and Clive Goodman, said Mr Hayman, who denied that he went into any operational details during the meetings.

Mr Hayman also defended himself against an assertion that the public would see him as a "dodgy geezer".

He quit the force in 2008 amid controversy over his expenses claims and started writing for the Sunday Times - another News International title - only two months later.

He told the committee he had always been interested in journalism and had been approached by several papers with offers of work. However, he admitted the decision to work for a Murdoch newspaper may have been "naive".

"Looking back at it, you might say they're part of the same stable", he said.

"But I just didn't see that. I was seen by the editor and deputy editor and I didn't know them from Adam."

[Jan Klimkowski]

Since it is important and has been little reported due to historical sub judice issues, here is an American account of a key element of the Rees affair, which reveals criminality, corruption, the clear complicity of NI senior managers and the cowardice of Scotland Yard.

July 11, 2011

A Detective Alleges the News of the World Spied on Him With Impunity

The New York Times
By JO BECKER and SARAH LYALL

LONDON On Jan. 9, 2003, Rebekah Wade, until recently the editor of The News of the World, was summoned to an unusual meeting at Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service here. Detective Superintendent David Cook, the lead investigator in a gruesome cold-case killing of a man found with an ax in his head, confronted Ms. Wade with a worrying accusation: He and his family were being followed and photographed, he said, by people hired by her newspaper.

Detective Cook said the police had evidence that one of The News of the World's senior editors, Alex Marunchak, had ordered the illegal surveillance as a favor to two suspects in the case Sid Fillery and Jonathan Rees, private investigators whose firm had done work for the paper. The lawyer for Mr. Cook, Mark Lewis, said in an interview that the detective believed that Mr. Fillery and Mr. Rees were seeking help in gathering evidence about Detective Cook to derail the murder inquiry.

What happened at the meeting, a less detailed account of which appeared in The Guardian, provides a window into the extraordinary coziness that long existed between the British police and The News of The World, as well as the relationship between the paper and unsavory characters in the criminal world.

None of the parties to this alliance has escaped the stain. The paper, at the center of a widening scandal over phone hacking and corruption, was shut last week by News International, its parent company, in an effort to limit the already extensive damage done to the reputation and business interests of Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of News Corporation.

Scotland Yard has admitted that it accepted News International's explanation that the hacking was the work of one rogue reporter, and that some police officers had accepted substantial payments in exchange for confidential information.

The News of the World remains the target of several criminal investigations. A number of its former editors and reporters have been arrested, including Andy Coulson, who most recently worked as the chief spokesman for Mr. Cameron, but no one has yet been formally charged. And Prime Minister David Cameron has announced he will appoint a judge to examine both the tabloid's hacking and its close relationship with the police.

Also present for the meeting that day in 2003, said a spokesman for Scotland Yard, were Commander Andy Baker, who was Detective Cook's boss, and Dick Fedorcio, Scotland Yard's chief public relations officer. According to an account Detective Cook provided to Mr. Lewis and others, Ms. Wade excused the surveillance by saying that the paper's action had been "in the public interest" the argument British newspapers typically make to justify using underhanded or illegal methods to, say, expose affairs by public officials.

Ms. Wade said that the paper was tailing Detective Cook because it suspected him of having an affair with Jackie Haines, host of the Crimewatch television program on which he had recently appeared. In fact, the two were married to each other, as had been mentioned prominently in an article about them in the popular gossip magazine "Hello!"

Scotland Yard seems to have been satisfied with the explanation of Ms. Wade, now known as Rebekah Brooks and the chief executive of News International. Her paper's editors and reporters had a long history with the police paying for tips and sometimes even serving as quasi-police investigators themselves, in return for confidential information (many News of the World stories about criminal matters used to include a reference to the paper's handing "a dossier" of its findings to Scotland Yard).

It is the closeness between the paper and the police that, it seems, led Scotland Yard to what officials have retrospectively admitted was a major misstep: the decision not to adequately pursue the initial phone-hacking investigation in 2006 and again in 2009. It was in 2006 that members of the royal household notified the police that they believed their cellphone messages were being intercepted by The News of the World.

The subsequent police "raid" at the paper consisted of rummaging through a single reporter's desk and failing to question any other reporters or editors. Two people were subsequently jailed: Clive Goodman, The News of the World's royal reporter, and Glenn Mulcaire, a private investigator hired by the paper. Even when The Guardian reported that the hacking had extended far beyond the pair, and that thousands of victims might be involved, the police and the newspaper insisted repeatedly that the wrongdoing had been limited to a single "rogue" reporter.

This weekend, Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who was in charge of the initial inquiry and who in 2009 declined to reopen it, said that the police response had been inadequate. "I have regrettably said the initial inquiry was a success," he told The Sunday Telegraph. "Clearly, now it looks very different."

After the meeting at Scotland Yard, Detective Cook left "with the impression that the meeting was arranged to placate him and let him get it off his chest, but that nothing else was going to happen," Mr. Lewis said. "And nothing did."

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said that "the matter was raised at the meeting at a senior level with the relevant people, and it was dealt with." When asked how it was dealt with, the spokesman added: "The response to those concerns was the meeting."

But a former senior Scotland Yard official said that the tailing of Detective Cook should have prompted a full-scale inquiry. "I'm amazed that wasn't done," said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly.

A spokeswoman for News Corporation, the parent company of News International, said the company "had not been previously made aware of the allegation that Ms. Brooks had known about the matter but done nothing, but that they will investigate any allegations that are put to them."

Mr. Rees and Mr. Fillery could not be reached for comment because their locations are unknown.

Through his lawyer, Paul Jonson, Mr. Marunchak denied any wrongdoing.

No one has ever been convicted in connection with Mr. Martin's death, despite five police investigations in 24 years, in which Mr. Fillery and Mr. Rees have been repeatedly arrested and charged. The most recent case collapsed this spring.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Tom Watson, a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party, said that the meeting showed the extent of the corrupt relationship between The News of the World on the one hand, and the police and the shady underworld of private investigators with criminal connections on the other.

"News International was paying people to interfere with police officers and was doing so on behalf of known criminals," he said. (Mr. Fillery was convicted in 2003 of making indecent images of children; Mr. Rees of planting cocaine in a woman's car to discredit her a child-custody case.)

Speaking of Ms. Brooks, he said: "Rebekah Brooks cannot deny being present at that meeting when the actions of people whom she paid were exposed. She cannot deny now being warned that under her auspices unlawful tactics were used for the purpose of interfering with the pursuit of justice."

As for Detective Cook, it appears that he, too, was a victim of phone hacking around the same time that the paper had his house under surveillance. But Scotland Yard notified Mr. Cook only eight weeks ago that his name had been found among the papers seized in 2006 in Mr. Mulcaire's home.

[Peter Lemkin]

What will it take to get started a REAL and FULL investigation, with full subpeona authority, ability to compel witnesses to fully answer questions, and the ability to initiate criminal prosecutions?!?! There are SO many, MANY heads to roll....but they have [up to now] been protected or those who might investigate were so afraid or ingratiated to them, not a thing was done - oh, except looking the OTHER way! :rofl: :mexican:

[Magda Hassan]

Meanwhile, via Zero Hedge:

Over The Past 4 Years News Corp Generated $10.4 Billion In Profits And Received $4.8 Billion In "Taxes" From The IRS

Call it the gift that keeps on giving (if one is a corporation that is): the US Tax system, so effective at extracting income tax from America's working class, is just as "effective" at redistributing said income tax at the corporate level.

Case in point: News Corp, which after generating $10.4 billion in profits over the past 4 years, and which would have been expected to pay the IRS $3.6 billion at the statutory corporate tax rate, instead received $4.6 billion back from Uncle Sam.

Bottom line: Murdoch's corporation had a cash paid tax rate of -46% between 2007 and 2010. The culrpit: two little somethings called Deferred Tax Assets and Net Operating Loss Carry-forwards.

As I write this NI accountants are writing off the loss of NOTW against the rest of the empire. Every cloud has a silver lining..... :monkeypiss:

[Seamus Coogan]

Jan your knowledge of the Beeb and British Journalism is unmatched I'd love to get your take down on all of this and will it hit America in a big way. Oh and any body else with an opinion on it I'd love to here it.

I saw my cuz Steve Coogan going hard on it. Was inspired punditry and bloody good on him having a dig at the right wing media!

[Peter Lemkin]

Jan's the Man on this...but I and others have already posted on this Forum how Murdoch seems to have been given his first big money and big 'start' by the CIA and their ilk. He was running a very small newspaper operation in Oz, when coincident in time with the disappearance of the Nugan-Hand Bank money, Murdoch became mysteriously rich and buying up media assets worldwide - with a noticeably Reich-Wing bent. :darthvader:

[Magda Hassan]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14142307
The BSkyB bid is withdrawn by News International. So, we'll never know if Murdoch is a fit and proper person or not....:lol:

[Keith Millea]

Finally starting to heat up in the US. :popcorn:

TAKE ACTION: Tell The Department of Justice To Investigate Rupert Murdoch

By ThinkProgress on Jul 13, 2011 at 10:29 am



Allegations that Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation bribed police officers and tapped phones, both abroad and potentially in the U.S., may violate U.S. law. ThinkProgress has drafted a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and SEC Chair Mary L. Schapiro demanding a full and immediate investigation into any potential illegal acts by News Corporation and their subsidiaries.

You can sign onto the letter HERE.

Last night, our effort was covered by Ed Schultz on MSNBC. Watch it:



The lawyer Schultz brought on to discuss the case, Mike Papantonio, said that the U.S. government had a legitimate case against News Corp under the Foreign Corrupt Practices act.


Elliot Spitzer, the former Attorney General of New York, said that it was not only possible that Murdoch's News Corp violated U.S., the Department of Justice had an obligation to investigate:

Much more importantly, the facts already pretty well established in Britain indicate violations of American law, in particular a law called the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The Justice Department has been going out of its way to undertake FCPA prosecutions and investigations in recent years, and the News Corp. case presents a pretty simple test for Attorney General Eric Holder: If the department fails to open an immediate investigation into News Corp.'s violations of the FCPA, there will have been a major breach of enforcement at Justice.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has also called for an investigation.

Let the Department of Justice and the SEC know that you demand accountability for News Corp. Sign onto the letter HERE.

http://thinkprogress.org/media/2011/07/1...t-murdoch/

[Jan Klimkowski]

Meanwhile, via Zero Hedge:

Over The Past 4 Years News Corp Generated $10.4 Billion In Profits And Received $4.8 Billion In "Taxes" From The IRS

As I write this NI accountants are writing off the loss of NOTW against the rest of the empire. Every cloud has a silver lining..... :monkeypiss:

A lil' more silver lining for us preterite folk:

Hedge funds have suffered one of their worst setbacks in years, losing tens of millions of pounds by betting that Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation was on the verge of taking full control of BSkyB.

Short-term speculators expected to make a killing by investing in a company viewed as a prime bid target, but instead have seen shares in the satellite television company plunge.

One trader said: "It's a bloodbath out there. The hedgies have dumped their holdings and some of them will be nursing big losses."

With News Corp today bowing to political pressure by abandoning its plan to take full control of BSkyB, more selling is possible in the days ahead. Brokers estimate another 100m BSkyB shares are in the hands of "arbs," funds that specialise in opportunities presented by mergers and acquisitions.

(snip)

hedge fund Perry Capital owns a stake of 1.1% and could be sitting on paper losses that run into millions if it acquired the stock at above current levels.

Several big American hedge funds have reduced their positions in BSkyB, according to regulatory filings. Taconic Capital Advisors and Davidson Kempner European Partners LLP have been net sellers. Taconic has taken its stake down to 1.45%, while Davidson Kempner is left with 0.79%.

The British hedge fund millionaire Crispin Odey, who was once married to Rupert Murdoch's eldest daughter Prudence, sold some of his 2.4% holding last week, but has topped it up again. However, the continuing decline in BSkyB's share price means Odey's paper loss is estimated to exceed £3m.

A spokesman for Odey said the group had owned BSkyB stock for about 10 years, and described the share price fall as "nothing. It was 550p a year ago."

Hedge funds had expected their investments to rise in value, because they anticipated News Corp's bid for the 61% of BSkyB it does not already own would be cleared by ministers.

Source.

[Jan Klimkowski]

Now we're Smokin' the Good Stuff.... :rasta:

News International accused of dealings with 'rogue' intelligence agents

Labour MP Tom Watson asks David Cameron if phone-hacking inquiry will examine alleged MI5 and MI6 links to scandal

Nicholas Watt, chief political correspondent guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 13 July 2011 16.38 BST

MI6 and MI5 were drawn into the phone hacking scandal when News International executives were accused in parliament of having close dealings with "rogue" members of the intelligence services.

David Cameron said the inquiry into hacking would be free to examine the allegations made in the Commons by Tom Watson, the former Labour defence minister who has campaigned against phone hacking.

Watson said: "Can I ask the prime minister would he allow Lord Leveson [who will be leading the inquiry] access to the intelligence services as well? At the murkier ends of this scandal there are allegations that rogue elements in the intelligence services had very close dealings with executives at News International. We need to get to the bottom of that."

Cameron replied: "The judge can take the inquiry in any direction the evidence leads him. He [Watson], like others, is free to make submissions to this inquiry and to point out evidence and to point out conclusions from that evidence and ask the inquiry to follow that."

Watson praised Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg for agreeing the terms of the inquiry. He said: "If these measures are carried out, I think some good might come out of evil. I find myself in the slightly embarrassing position of being able to commend all three party leaders for coming together to make sure this happened. So thank you."

Earlier, he had asked the prime minister to investigate whether the phones of victims of the 9/11 attacks had been targeted by News International. He said: "The debate this afternoon will be vital because it shows the house will be united in its revulsion at what was done to Milly Dowler's family. But could I ask the prime minister to make urgent inquiries as to whether families of the victims of 9/11 were similarly targeted by the criminals of News International? If they were will he raise it with his counterparts in the United States?"

Cameron said: "I will certainly look at that."