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Rupert Murdoch's co-operation with police 'extraordinary', says Sun reporter Rupert Murdoch's co-operation with police 'extraordinary', says Sun reporter
(14 days later)
A Sun journalist who spent nearly a year on police bail before being told he faces no further action has labelled Rupert Murdoch's co-operation with Scotland Yard as "extraordinary".A Sun journalist who spent nearly a year on police bail before being told he faces no further action has labelled Rupert Murdoch's co-operation with Scotland Yard as "extraordinary".
Chris Pollard, who was arrested by about nine police officers at his flat in London last September, also condemned the manner of the "astonishing" arrests of fellow journalists at the Sun.Chris Pollard, who was arrested by about nine police officers at his flat in London last September, also condemned the manner of the "astonishing" arrests of fellow journalists at the Sun.
Pollard was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and subjected to a year-long investigation based on a memo he had written to his bosses at the paper in 2009. Last week he was told he faces no further action.Pollard was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and subjected to a year-long investigation based on a memo he had written to his bosses at the paper in 2009. Last week he was told he faces no further action.
"Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation have co-operated with the police investigations into the Sun in an extraordinary way," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Victoria Derbyshire on Wednesday."Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation have co-operated with the police investigations into the Sun in an extraordinary way," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Victoria Derbyshire on Wednesday.
"They've handed over reams and reams of documents – emails, payment dockets, expenses forms, payslips, you name it. Police have had access to documents and as far as I know they've been through them all and they found no evidence of phone hacking at the Sun. The simple reason is: it never took place there. Everyone knew that before and now it's official. It simply didn't happen.""They've handed over reams and reams of documents – emails, payment dockets, expenses forms, payslips, you name it. Police have had access to documents and as far as I know they've been through them all and they found no evidence of phone hacking at the Sun. The simple reason is: it never took place there. Everyone knew that before and now it's official. It simply didn't happen."
Pollard said he was "stunned" to find nine Metropolitan police officers at the door of his one-bedroom London flat last September. They arrested him and "turned the house over" before questioning him for two hours at a police station, he said.Pollard said he was "stunned" to find nine Metropolitan police officers at the door of his one-bedroom London flat last September. They arrested him and "turned the house over" before questioning him for two hours at a police station, he said.
The basis of Pollard's arrest was a memo he had written for the Sun newsdesk in 2009 after receiving a call from a woman in Manchester. The woman said she had found a mobile phone containing "scores, maybe hundreds of saucy texts from a married celebrity" and then read the texts down the phone.The basis of Pollard's arrest was a memo he had written for the Sun newsdesk in 2009 after receiving a call from a woman in Manchester. The woman said she had found a mobile phone containing "scores, maybe hundreds of saucy texts from a married celebrity" and then read the texts down the phone.
The woman was never paid and no story came from the contents of the phone, Pollard said.The woman was never paid and no story came from the contents of the phone, Pollard said.
"This whole matter had been taken to the police in 2009 and we considered it closed, frankly. So for the whole thing to be opened up again like this and for arrests to be made in this manner was just extraordinary," he said."This whole matter had been taken to the police in 2009 and we considered it closed, frankly. So for the whole thing to be opened up again like this and for arrests to be made in this manner was just extraordinary," he said.
"As someone who's always played by the rules and worked hard to forge a career in journalism – a white-collar career, as they say – it was just astonishing to be arrested and particularly in that manner."As someone who's always played by the rules and worked hard to forge a career in journalism – a white-collar career, as they say – it was just astonishing to be arrested and particularly in that manner.
"I'm not against the police making arrests. If they suspect wrongdoing, if they suspect people have been committing crimes, they should be making arrests. It's just the manner in which they'd conducted these operations into journalists at the Sun. Nine officers did not need to come to my house at dawn and turn my house over.""I'm not against the police making arrests. If they suspect wrongdoing, if they suspect people have been committing crimes, they should be making arrests. It's just the manner in which they'd conducted these operations into journalists at the Sun. Nine officers did not need to come to my house at dawn and turn my house over."
Pollard said he believed that police "hoped" they would uncover a phone-hacking scandal similar to that at the now-closed News of the World. "I think the police were hoping that they'd find evidence of mass phone hacking at the Sun amongst these documents," he said.Pollard said he believed that police "hoped" they would uncover a phone-hacking scandal similar to that at the now-closed News of the World. "I think the police were hoping that they'd find evidence of mass phone hacking at the Sun amongst these documents," he said.
"In the wake of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, the police were widely criticised for the way they'd handled that investigation. They'd failed to investigate it properly and they'd bungled it from start to finish."In the wake of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, the police were widely criticised for the way they'd handled that investigation. They'd failed to investigate it properly and they'd bungled it from start to finish.
The whole thing could have been brought to a close years ago but the way it was handled was very poor and they were humiliated over it frankly. So when News Corporation volunteered all these documents from the Sun – these payslips, dockets, you name it – I think they were kind of hoping they'd find evidence of a similar scandal at the Sun.The whole thing could have been brought to a close years ago but the way it was handled was very poor and they were humiliated over it frankly. So when News Corporation volunteered all these documents from the Sun – these payslips, dockets, you name it – I think they were kind of hoping they'd find evidence of a similar scandal at the Sun.
"There's never been any phone hacking at the Sun, I'd like to point that out loud and clear right now. I've worked at the Sun for four years and I've never been aware of phone hacking at the Sun. It never took place there.""There's never been any phone hacking at the Sun, I'd like to point that out loud and clear right now. I've worked at the Sun for four years and I've never been aware of phone hacking at the Sun. It never took place there."
More than 20 current and former Sun executives and journalists have been arrested and 12 charged in relation to a separate Met police investigation, Operation Elveden, into alleged illegal payments to public officials. Most of those arrested under Operation Elveden have been on bail for more than 18 months.More than 20 current and former Sun executives and journalists have been arrested and 12 charged in relation to a separate Met police investigation, Operation Elveden, into alleged illegal payments to public officials. Most of those arrested under Operation Elveden have been on bail for more than 18 months.
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