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| Soca chief given ultimatum over list of firms linked to rogue investigators | Soca chief given ultimatum over list of firms linked to rogue investigators |
| (14 days later) | |
| A list of 98 insurers, solicitors and finance companies that have used the services of rogue private investigators is set to be published by Keith Vaz in the face of opposition from the police. | A list of 98 insurers, solicitors and finance companies that have used the services of rogue private investigators is set to be published by Keith Vaz in the face of opposition from the police. |
| Vaz, chair of the home affairs select committee, told the head of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), which has kept the list secret for more than four years, that if it did not release it to the public by next Monday then he would do so. | Vaz, chair of the home affairs select committee, told the head of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), which has kept the list secret for more than four years, that if it did not release it to the public by next Monday then he would do so. |
| The companies were clients of four private investigators who were jailed last year after a Soca investigation into illegal blagging of information about private individuals. On Tuesday Vaz criticised Trevor Pearce, the director general of Soca, who was appearing before the committee, for failing to act on the list before now. | The companies were clients of four private investigators who were jailed last year after a Soca investigation into illegal blagging of information about private individuals. On Tuesday Vaz criticised Trevor Pearce, the director general of Soca, who was appearing before the committee, for failing to act on the list before now. |
| Pearce protested to the committee that his agency had always intended to pass the details to the information commissioner, Sir Christopher Graham. But Vaz said there had been no intention to do anything until newspapers started publishing details about the existence of the list in recent weeks. | Pearce protested to the committee that his agency had always intended to pass the details to the information commissioner, Sir Christopher Graham. But Vaz said there had been no intention to do anything until newspapers started publishing details about the existence of the list in recent weeks. |
| He said: "Some of us have been around a long time, please don't think we don't understand what is going on. The information commissioner has been after this information for years and last Friday you delivered it. This has only happened in the last six weeks because of what has been in the newspapers and your appearance before this committee. The information had not even been formatted into a list before then, nor would it ever have been formatted." | He said: "Some of us have been around a long time, please don't think we don't understand what is going on. The information commissioner has been after this information for years and last Friday you delivered it. This has only happened in the last six weeks because of what has been in the newspapers and your appearance before this committee. The information had not even been formatted into a list before then, nor would it ever have been formatted." |
| The companies were identified in 2008 during a Soca investigation known as Operation Millipede. Up to nine firms are now under investigation by the Metropolitan police's Operation Tuleta, which is examining computer hacking and other breaches of privacy. The names of these companies have been redacted by the police and will not be published. | The companies were identified in 2008 during a Soca investigation known as Operation Millipede. Up to nine firms are now under investigation by the Metropolitan police's Operation Tuleta, which is examining computer hacking and other breaches of privacy. The names of these companies have been redacted by the police and will not be published. |
| Pearce said that both he and the Met had agreed that the list should not be published because to do so might compromise the Met's investigation. But Vaz said his committee had taken legal advice and would go ahead with publication if Soca continued to refuse to release the information to the public. | Pearce said that both he and the Met had agreed that the list should not be published because to do so might compromise the Met's investigation. But Vaz said his committee had taken legal advice and would go ahead with publication if Soca continued to refuse to release the information to the public. |
| Vaz said: "We would like you to publish the list. We see nothing wrong with publishing the list. We give you until Monday to publish it and if you fail to we will do so. We believe it is important that it should be done." | Vaz said: "We would like you to publish the list. We see nothing wrong with publishing the list. We give you until Monday to publish it and if you fail to we will do so. We believe it is important that it should be done." |
| On Monday Graham said he had begun an inquiry into potential breaches of privacy law by the companies, after being handed the list by Soca last week. MPs on the committee said they were concerned that Soca's failure to publish the list made it appear that City firms were not being pursued with the same intensity as journalists. | On Monday Graham said he had begun an inquiry into potential breaches of privacy law by the companies, after being handed the list by Soca last week. MPs on the committee said they were concerned that Soca's failure to publish the list made it appear that City firms were not being pursued with the same intensity as journalists. |
| Graham's investigation will examine whether the 98 firms broke the Data Protection Act. The information commissioner can bring criminal prosecutions or take action in the civil courts, with fines of up to £500,000 for data protection breaches. | Graham's investigation will examine whether the 98 firms broke the Data Protection Act. The information commissioner can bring criminal prosecutions or take action in the civil courts, with fines of up to £500,000 for data protection breaches. |
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