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Journalist agreed to probe background of gas market rigging whistleblower Journalist agreed to probe background of gas market rigging whistleblower
(about 3 hours later)
A senior industry journalist agreed with an executive now working for Icis-Heren, the company at the centre of the gas market rigging allegations, to probe the background of the whistleblower who first raised the issue.A senior industry journalist agreed with an executive now working for Icis-Heren, the company at the centre of the gas market rigging allegations, to probe the background of the whistleblower who first raised the issue.
The journalist, Roger Milne, wrote emails claiming that "a regulatory affairs bod at lcis-Heren" wanted him to do "a bit of very circumspect detective work about a guy called Seth Freedman". Milne said his enquiries were "jolly sensitive".The journalist, Roger Milne, wrote emails claiming that "a regulatory affairs bod at lcis-Heren" wanted him to do "a bit of very circumspect detective work about a guy called Seth Freedman". Milne said his enquiries were "jolly sensitive".
Milne was apparently encouraged to look into Freedman's "murky" background by Richard Street, who has since taken a job as head of compliance at Icis, the price reporting firm which employed Freedman.Milne was apparently encouraged to look into Freedman's "murky" background by Richard Street, who has since taken a job as head of compliance at Icis, the price reporting firm which employed Freedman.
Freedman, who has now been sacked by Icis, claims Milne's enquiries were part of a dirty tricks campaign to discredit him. Milne works for Utility Week, a journal owned by the same group that owns Icis, Reed Business Information. Freedman, who has now been sacked by Icis, claims Milne's enquiries were part of a dirty tricks campaign to discredit him. Milne works for the Utility Week trade journal.
Icis says that Street was not working for the company at the time and was merely having a personal conversation with Milne, an energy industry contact. The firm insists there was no question of any contract or money changing hands. Icis, owned by Reed Business Information (RBI), says that Street was not working for the company at the time and was merely having a personal conversation with Milne, an energy industry contact. The firm insists there was no question of any contract or money changing hands.
In a statement, Icis said: "At no time has Icis, RBI or Reed Elsevier asked anyone to investigate Seth Freedman."
Last October, Freedman warned managers at Icis, where he worked as a price reporter, that irregular trading in the wholesale gas market indicated manipulation could be taking place. Icis took his concerns to the energy regulator, Ofgem, though it later dismissed him after saying he had lost the trust of his colleagues.Last October, Freedman warned managers at Icis, where he worked as a price reporter, that irregular trading in the wholesale gas market indicated manipulation could be taking place. Icis took his concerns to the energy regulator, Ofgem, though it later dismissed him after saying he had lost the trust of his colleagues.
A badly typed email seen by the Guardian and sent out by Milne to a contact with Guardian connections on 8 January – more than two months after Street was announced to be joining Icis says: "Freedman appears to be a somewhat murky figure with an Israeli military revelations backstory which no-one seems to have got to the bottom of. I know a regulatory affairs bod at lcis-Heren who is keen to shed light on exactly who Freedman has been working for over the last couple of years and his exact relationship with the Guardian.A badly typed email seen by the Guardian and sent out by Milne to a contact with Guardian connections on 8 January – more than two months after Street was announced to be joining Icis says: "Freedman appears to be a somewhat murky figure with an Israeli military revelations backstory which no-one seems to have got to the bottom of. I know a regulatory affairs bod at lcis-Heren who is keen to shed light on exactly who Freedman has been working for over the last couple of years and his exact relationship with the Guardian.
"From that you'll gather a direct approach to the Guardian wouldn't be very productive. Jolly sensitive. Icis Heren is concerned that the bod at the centre of price-rigging allegations which is being investigated by Ofgem and the FSA [Financial Services Authority] may not necessarily be the most reiliable [sic] or trustworthy of witnesses. This might seem like a bit of character assissination [sic] to the Grauniad but my Icis-Heren lot just bwant [sic] to get to tge [sic] bottom of the real Seth Freedman.""From that you'll gather a direct approach to the Guardian wouldn't be very productive. Jolly sensitive. Icis Heren is concerned that the bod at the centre of price-rigging allegations which is being investigated by Ofgem and the FSA [Financial Services Authority] may not necessarily be the most reiliable [sic] or trustworthy of witnesses. This might seem like a bit of character assissination [sic] to the Grauniad but my Icis-Heren lot just bwant [sic] to get to tge [sic] bottom of the real Seth Freedman."
Freedman says that it is disturbing that raising issues of public concern about the gas market has led not just to his dismissal but also to personal investigations and nasty allegations.Freedman says that it is disturbing that raising issues of public concern about the gas market has led not just to his dismissal but also to personal investigations and nasty allegations.
"Given the way I have been thus far treated by Icis, it comes as little surprise to learn that their (now) compliance officer seems to have hired an investigator to do detective work as part of what looks like a dirty tricks campaign.""Given the way I have been thus far treated by Icis, it comes as little surprise to learn that their (now) compliance officer seems to have hired an investigator to do detective work as part of what looks like a dirty tricks campaign."
Asked about the investigation by Milne, a spokesman for Icis and Reed gave the following written statement denying there was any corporate decision to hire anyone to do detective work. He said Milne would not reveal the identity of the person – now at Icis – he had spoken to.Asked about the investigation by Milne, a spokesman for Icis and Reed gave the following written statement denying there was any corporate decision to hire anyone to do detective work. He said Milne would not reveal the identity of the person – now at Icis – he had spoken to.
"Our understanding is that at the time of the original Guardian article in November about alleged price fixing in the wholesale gas market, Roger Milne, a journalist at Utility Week, was talking with an industry contact. This contact was not an Icis employee. They discussed the story including how it would be interesting to find out more about the background of Seth Freedman. No contract was entered into, nor any promise of payment given. We believe this contact has since joined Icis, but Roger Milne has had no further communication with this individual before the Guardian called Roger yesterday.""Our understanding is that at the time of the original Guardian article in November about alleged price fixing in the wholesale gas market, Roger Milne, a journalist at Utility Week, was talking with an industry contact. This contact was not an Icis employee. They discussed the story including how it would be interesting to find out more about the background of Seth Freedman. No contract was entered into, nor any promise of payment given. We believe this contact has since joined Icis, but Roger Milne has had no further communication with this individual before the Guardian called Roger yesterday."
Reed later said it had learned from Milne that the "industry contact" who spoke to him about Freedman was Street.Reed later said it had learned from Milne that the "industry contact" who spoke to him about Freedman was Street.
Contacted by the Guardian directly, Milne said: "I was asked by a third party just to do a tiny bit of work … I can't tell you by whom … I have not got very far and I am not going to get very far … There was absolutely no money involved."Contacted by the Guardian directly, Milne said: "I was asked by a third party just to do a tiny bit of work … I can't tell you by whom … I have not got very far and I am not going to get very far … There was absolutely no money involved."
However, he said he had been "perhaps rather stupid".However, he said he had been "perhaps rather stupid".
Freedman has previously written factual and fictionalised accounts of life in both the City and the Israeli army. The Guardian's initial report on his concerns over gas price manipulation stated that he had contributed to this paper in the past but was not working for it while employed as a price reporter for Icis. Freedman said it was "highly stressful and frightening" to feel he was being "watched and investigated".Freedman has previously written factual and fictionalised accounts of life in both the City and the Israeli army. The Guardian's initial report on his concerns over gas price manipulation stated that he had contributed to this paper in the past but was not working for it while employed as a price reporter for Icis. Freedman said it was "highly stressful and frightening" to feel he was being "watched and investigated".