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Operation Elveden: a sad and sorry tale... Operation Elveden: a sad and sorry tale...
(about 3 hours later)
So Operation Elveden is over. After five years, Scotland Yard has called a halt to its investigation into payments by journalists to police and other public officials.So Operation Elveden is over. After five years, Scotland Yard has called a halt to its investigation into payments by journalists to police and other public officials.
It has been a sorry tale for the Met police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). It was sorrier still for the journalistic sources who ended up in jail and for the journalists who spent years on bail and faced the threat of prison.It has been a sorry tale for the Met police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). It was sorrier still for the journalistic sources who ended up in jail and for the journalists who spent years on bail and faced the threat of prison.
Thirty people who leaked information, including nine police officers, were convicted. Of the 29 journalists who were charged only one was convicted at trial. He was the Sun’s crime reporter, Anthony France, and is appealing against his conviction (with, in my view, every chance of success).Thirty people who leaked information, including nine police officers, were convicted. Of the 29 journalists who were charged only one was convicted at trial. He was the Sun’s crime reporter, Anthony France, and is appealing against his conviction (with, in my view, every chance of success).
One journalist, Dan Evans, who worked at both the News of the World and the Sunday Mirror, pleaded guilty to an Elveden offence.One journalist, Dan Evans, who worked at both the News of the World and the Sunday Mirror, pleaded guilty to an Elveden offence.
None of it should have happened. In a spasm of post-phone hacking panic, Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper outfit (now renamed News UK) and an embarrassed Scotland Yard veered off into a totally separate sphere.None of it should have happened. In a spasm of post-phone hacking panic, Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper outfit (now renamed News UK) and an embarrassed Scotland Yard veered off into a totally separate sphere.
Payments to public officials had nothing whatsoever to do with the interception of voicemail messages, the hacking drama at Murdoch’s News of the World.Payments to public officials had nothing whatsoever to do with the interception of voicemail messages, the hacking drama at Murdoch’s News of the World.
But emails, memos and accounts documents were passed by the Sun’s publisher to the police and set in train a £14.7m investigation.But emails, memos and accounts documents were passed by the Sun’s publisher to the police and set in train a £14.7m investigation.
The Met’s assistant commissioner, Patricia Gallan, said on Friday: “Having received from News International what appeared to be evidence that crimes had been committed by police officers, an investigation was inevitable.The Met’s assistant commissioner, Patricia Gallan, said on Friday: “Having received from News International what appeared to be evidence that crimes had been committed by police officers, an investigation was inevitable.
“It was right that we followed the evidence where it took us without fear or favour. As the police, our responsibility is to investigate crime and present evidence to the CPS for them to consider appropriate charges, and this is what we did.”“It was right that we followed the evidence where it took us without fear or favour. As the police, our responsibility is to investigate crime and present evidence to the CPS for them to consider appropriate charges, and this is what we did.”
There is a slightly Pontius Pilate edge to that statement. We were merely the conduit between Murdoch’s company and the CPS. That overlooks the dawn raids, the confiscations and the immoral use of police bail.There is a slightly Pontius Pilate edge to that statement. We were merely the conduit between Murdoch’s company and the CPS. That overlooks the dawn raids, the confiscations and the immoral use of police bail.
Le me state, yet again, that I do not favour making payments for information and, initially, I was appalled by the scale of money paid out by Sun reporters and executives to obtain stories. Let me state, yet again, that I do not favour making payments for information and, initially, I was appalled by the scale of money paid out by Sun reporters and executives to obtain stories.
When I looked at the issue more closely, I changed my mind, not least because I couldn’t overlook the fact that, as a 1980s Sun executive, I had authorised such payments. Having also worked on several other pop papers, I was aware that the Sun’s payment culture was anything but unique.When I looked at the issue more closely, I changed my mind, not least because I couldn’t overlook the fact that, as a 1980s Sun executive, I had authorised such payments. Having also worked on several other pop papers, I was aware that the Sun’s payment culture was anything but unique.
An even closer look at some of the evidence, including conversations with accused Sun journalists, revealed the unfairness of the charges against them.An even closer look at some of the evidence, including conversations with accused Sun journalists, revealed the unfairness of the charges against them.
They had acted with the blessing, express or implied, of the paper’s editorial and management executives, plus the in-house legal team. They had operated within a culture that had existed for decades.They had acted with the blessing, express or implied, of the paper’s editorial and management executives, plus the in-house legal team. They had operated within a culture that had existed for decades.
Many of the Sun payments were also made for information that was in the public interest. I concede that the public interest justification was sometimes thin and in a couple of instances totally non-existent.Many of the Sun payments were also made for information that was in the public interest. I concede that the public interest justification was sometimes thin and in a couple of instances totally non-existent.
I also concede that many of the leakers were motivated by money rather than having acted in traditional whistleblowing mode by satisfying the public’s right to know without a cash incentive.I also concede that many of the leakers were motivated by money rather than having acted in traditional whistleblowing mode by satisfying the public’s right to know without a cash incentive.
But standing back from the detail, it is obvious that journalists, if they are to have any benefit for society, exist to disclose information. That does not give them a right to break the law nor to intrude without proper justification into people’s privacy, which is why hacking was indefensible.But standing back from the detail, it is obvious that journalists, if they are to have any benefit for society, exist to disclose information. That does not give them a right to break the law nor to intrude without proper justification into people’s privacy, which is why hacking was indefensible.
Paying for information was of a different order. Although I would rather we obtained information without paying for it, there are occasions when it is justified.Paying for information was of a different order. Although I would rather we obtained information without paying for it, there are occasions when it is justified.
The Daily Telegraph was right to pay for the disks that contained MPs’ expenses. The Sunday Times was right to pay on two occasions to obtain tranches of documents that proved invaluable during its campaign on behalf of thalidomide victims.The Daily Telegraph was right to pay for the disks that contained MPs’ expenses. The Sunday Times was right to pay on two occasions to obtain tranches of documents that proved invaluable during its campaign on behalf of thalidomide victims.
One benefit of Elveden, the only one, is that has choked off the habit of making payments for information without a public interest reason.One benefit of Elveden, the only one, is that has choked off the habit of making payments for information without a public interest reason.
Back to assistant commissioner Gallan. “Elveden was certainly not an attack on journalists or a free media”, she said. “The decision to arrest journalists for conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office was not one taken lightly.”Back to assistant commissioner Gallan. “Elveden was certainly not an attack on journalists or a free media”, she said. “The decision to arrest journalists for conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office was not one taken lightly.”
Really? If the Met had held a proper investigation into phone hacking, a genuine example of press misbehaviour, would it have been so assiduous in charging reporters who paid public officials?Really? If the Met had held a proper investigation into phone hacking, a genuine example of press misbehaviour, would it have been so assiduous in charging reporters who paid public officials?
Then again, if Murdoch’s organisation had not failed to investigate its own staff’s hacking activities, would it have ended up closing a newspaper, shelling out millions of pounds in legal costs and watching scores of its innocent Sun staff being arrested?Then again, if Murdoch’s organisation had not failed to investigate its own staff’s hacking activities, would it have ended up closing a newspaper, shelling out millions of pounds in legal costs and watching scores of its innocent Sun staff being arrested?