This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-14116786
The article has changed 19 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 15 | Version 16 |
|---|---|
| Hacking police round on News International | Hacking police round on News International |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| News International tried to "thwart" the original inquiry into phone hacking at the News of the World, senior Met police officers have told MPs. | News International tried to "thwart" the original inquiry into phone hacking at the News of the World, senior Met police officers have told MPs. |
| Ex-Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke said while probing the claims in 2006, he came across "prevarication and what we now know to be lies". | Ex-Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke said while probing the claims in 2006, he came across "prevarication and what we now know to be lies". |
| Assistant Commissioner John Yates said the firm "appears to have failed to co-operate" during his review of the case. | Assistant Commissioner John Yates said the firm "appears to have failed to co-operate" during his review of the case. |
| Committee chairman Keith Vaz said Mr Yates's evidence was "unconvincing". | Committee chairman Keith Vaz said Mr Yates's evidence was "unconvincing". |
| But the current Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Paul Stephenson, who was seen emerging from 10 Downing Street on Tuesday evening, said Mr Yates has his "full support and confidence". | |
| A police investigation began in 2005, triggered by stories about Prince William's health in the NoW. | A police investigation began in 2005, triggered by stories about Prince William's health in the NoW. |
| News International closed the paper last week amid continued outrage over reports of hacking including revelations that the mobile phones of murder victim Milly Dowler and relatives of dead soldiers had been accessed. | News International closed the paper last week amid continued outrage over reports of hacking including revelations that the mobile phones of murder victim Milly Dowler and relatives of dead soldiers had been accessed. |
| In his evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, Mr Clarke said: "We pursued it as far as we could through the correspondence with the News of the World lawyers." | In his evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, Mr Clarke said: "We pursued it as far as we could through the correspondence with the News of the World lawyers." |
| But he added: "This is a major global organisation with access to the best legal advice, in my view deliberately trying to thwart a police investigation." | But he added: "This is a major global organisation with access to the best legal advice, in my view deliberately trying to thwart a police investigation." |
| In other developments: | In other developments: |
|
|
| Mr Clarke told MPs his remit during the initial investigation was strictly to look into who had been hacking into the phones of members of the royal household. | Mr Clarke told MPs his remit during the initial investigation was strictly to look into who had been hacking into the phones of members of the royal household. |
| This was three hours of theatre that ranged from drama, when John Yates was asked whether he should resign, to pantomime, as Andy Hayman was offered a piece of paper in order to eat his words. | This was three hours of theatre that ranged from drama, when John Yates was asked whether he should resign, to pantomime, as Andy Hayman was offered a piece of paper in order to eat his words. |
| But the most telling contribution came from Sir Ian, now Lord, Blair, who said the first phone hacking inquiry, under his watch as commissioner, was a "tiny fragmentary event... not seen as particularly significant". | But the most telling contribution came from Sir Ian, now Lord, Blair, who said the first phone hacking inquiry, under his watch as commissioner, was a "tiny fragmentary event... not seen as particularly significant". |
| That told you more about why those 11,000 pages of material weren't "exhaustively" examined than any of the other evidence. Tackling phone hacking, intrusion into people's privacy, just wasn't as important to the Met as stopping terrorist attacks. | That told you more about why those 11,000 pages of material weren't "exhaustively" examined than any of the other evidence. Tackling phone hacking, intrusion into people's privacy, just wasn't as important to the Met as stopping terrorist attacks. |
| The scale of the investigation now - almost 4,000 names and 9,000 phone numbers to trawl through - illustrates why detectives feared in 2006 they'd become so bogged down that other duties would be neglected. | The scale of the investigation now - almost 4,000 names and 9,000 phone numbers to trawl through - illustrates why detectives feared in 2006 they'd become so bogged down that other duties would be neglected. |
| Only the "most important" victims of phone hacking had been told about it, he said. | Only the "most important" victims of phone hacking had been told about it, he said. |
| He said he had to weigh up a breach of privacy investigation with counter terrorism investigations, and an exhaustive analysis of the evidence at hand may or may not have made any difference at all. | He said he had to weigh up a breach of privacy investigation with counter terrorism investigations, and an exhaustive analysis of the evidence at hand may or may not have made any difference at all. |
| "If at any time News International had offered some meaningful co-operation instead of prevarication and what we now know to be lies, we would not be here today," he said. | "If at any time News International had offered some meaningful co-operation instead of prevarication and what we now know to be lies, we would not be here today," he said. |
| In 2007, a reporter and private investigator working for the paper were jailed for phone hacking. It was reported that the pair were considered to have been acting alone, and the investigation, led by former Met assistant commissioner Andy Hayman, ended. | In 2007, a reporter and private investigator working for the paper were jailed for phone hacking. It was reported that the pair were considered to have been acting alone, and the investigation, led by former Met assistant commissioner Andy Hayman, ended. |
| Mr Hayman told the committee: "At the time everything possible that they were able to do, given the resources and the parameters they set, was done and I stand by that... | Mr Hayman told the committee: "At the time everything possible that they were able to do, given the resources and the parameters they set, was done and I stand by that... |
| "What we look like now, it's very lame. I think what's happened is I think we've had more time to do it, more revelations have come out, the News of the World have given us material that we didn't have at the time." | "What we look like now, it's very lame. I think what's happened is I think we've had more time to do it, more revelations have come out, the News of the World have given us material that we didn't have at the time." |
| Mr Hayman later went on to become a columnist with the News International title The Times but rejected suggestions that he was in the newspaper group's "back pocket". | Mr Hayman later went on to become a columnist with the News International title The Times but rejected suggestions that he was in the newspaper group's "back pocket". |
| In 2009, Assistant Commissioner Yates oversaw a review of the investigation after allegations appeared in the Guardian that NoW reporters had paid private investigators to hack into thousands of phones, many owned by politicians and celebrities. | In 2009, Assistant Commissioner Yates oversaw a review of the investigation after allegations appeared in the Guardian that NoW reporters had paid private investigators to hack into thousands of phones, many owned by politicians and celebrities. |
| At the hearing, he admitted it was a "poor" decision not to reopen the inquiry and he regretted not doing enough to protect victims. | At the hearing, he admitted it was a "poor" decision not to reopen the inquiry and he regretted not doing enough to protect victims. |
| But he said: "It is a matter of great concern that, for whatever reason, the News of the World appears to have failed to co-operate in the way that we now know they should have with relevant police inquiries up until January this year. | But he said: "It is a matter of great concern that, for whatever reason, the News of the World appears to have failed to co-operate in the way that we now know they should have with relevant police inquiries up until January this year. |
| "They have only recently supplied information and evidence that would have had a significant impact on the decisions that I took in 2009 had it been provided to us then." | "They have only recently supplied information and evidence that would have had a significant impact on the decisions that I took in 2009 had it been provided to us then." |
| He said he would not resign over criticisms of his actions, and told MPs he had not been under pressure from the NoW over issues in his private life. | He said he would not resign over criticisms of his actions, and told MPs he had not been under pressure from the NoW over issues in his private life. |
| Mr Yates also said he was 99% certain his own mobile was hacked between 2005 and 2006. | Mr Yates also said he was 99% certain his own mobile was hacked between 2005 and 2006. |
| In a statement, the Met Commissioner said Mr Yates should be given "credit for his courage and humility in acknowledging that if he knew then what he knows now, he would have taken different decisions". | In a statement, the Met Commissioner said Mr Yates should be given "credit for his courage and humility in acknowledging that if he knew then what he knows now, he would have taken different decisions". |
| He added he hoped Mr Clarke's evidence "helps to inform the public debate and the reasons that the original inquiry operated as it did". | He added he hoped Mr Clarke's evidence "helps to inform the public debate and the reasons that the original inquiry operated as it did". |
| One of the members of the committee, Labour's David Winnick, said the hearing confirmed that the initial police investigation into phone-hacking was "totally inadequate". | One of the members of the committee, Labour's David Winnick, said the hearing confirmed that the initial police investigation into phone-hacking was "totally inadequate". |
| Other MPs not on the committee but who listened to the evidence, were also critical of what they had heard. | Other MPs not on the committee but who listened to the evidence, were also critical of what they had heard. |
| Labour MP, Chris Bryant, who suspects that his phone was hacked, said: "Nearly everything that we have heard in the last few weeks was in the papers that the police gathered in 2006 if they had chosen even to read it. All we learned today is, they didn't even bother to read most of it." | Labour MP, Chris Bryant, who suspects that his phone was hacked, said: "Nearly everything that we have heard in the last few weeks was in the papers that the police gathered in 2006 if they had chosen even to read it. All we learned today is, they didn't even bother to read most of it." |
| And former shadow home secretary David Davies said: "There was incompetence in the handling, there was complacency over the issue." | And former shadow home secretary David Davies said: "There was incompetence in the handling, there was complacency over the issue." |
| Deputy Assistant Commissioner Akers confirmed to the committee that the material gathered by police contains 3,870 first and second names. There are 5,000 landline phone numbers and 4,000 mobile phone numbers. | Deputy Assistant Commissioner Akers confirmed to the committee that the material gathered by police contains 3,870 first and second names. There are 5,000 landline phone numbers and 4,000 mobile phone numbers. |
| She said senior management at News International were now co-operating with her inquiry. | She said senior management at News International were now co-operating with her inquiry. |
| "I held a meeting at which for the first time two News International executives attended to debate our very different interpretations of the expression full cooperation and subsequent to that meeting I can say that relationships have been much better," she said. | "I held a meeting at which for the first time two News International executives attended to debate our very different interpretations of the expression full cooperation and subsequent to that meeting I can say that relationships have been much better," she said. |
| The committee hearing opened with questions to former Met Police Commissioner Lord Ian Blair about claims police officers had been paid for information by the News of the World. | The committee hearing opened with questions to former Met Police Commissioner Lord Ian Blair about claims police officers had been paid for information by the News of the World. |
| He said he strongly suspected corruption in the force, but knew of no payments made to police officers. | He said he strongly suspected corruption in the force, but knew of no payments made to police officers. |
| He was also asked about the decision not to reopen an inquiry in 2009. He said: "If material was available at the time that showed 'industrial level hacking' it would have been appropriate to have gone further. | He was also asked about the decision not to reopen an inquiry in 2009. He said: "If material was available at the time that showed 'industrial level hacking' it would have been appropriate to have gone further. |
| "I didn't know and I wouldn't have expected it to have been known further up the organisation." | "I didn't know and I wouldn't have expected it to have been known further up the organisation." |