(5) Journalists, executives brace for arrest ("within days") over phone-hacking scandal

[kpete]

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

Journalists, executives brace for arrest over phone-hacking scandal
Nino Bucci
July 7, 2011 - 12:33PM


Journalists and executives from the News of the World are expected to be arrested within days as the phone-hacking scandal widens to include the families of dead soliders among the newspaper's targets.

Five journalists would be among those hauled in by police, according to a report in The Times, a News International stablemate of the beleagured tabloid.

..............


The investigation into the phone hacking scandal may have also unveiled evidence News International made "inappropriate payments" to police.

London's Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said the documents that appeared to confirm the payments were provided by News on June 20. It has been reported that payments had been made by the Sunday News of the World newspaper to senior police officers between 2003 and 2007.





Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/journalists-executives-brace-for-arrest-over-phonehacking-scandal-20110707-1h3e4.html#ixzz1RNwDUmqK

[Sparky 1]

1. Neat! Wish they'd nab Rupert, but that'll never happen.

[Stuart G]

2. It is unlikely, but stranger things have happened. nt

[Cereal Kyller]

3. And here's the first name

Former NOTW editor Andy Coulson.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/07/07/andy-coulson-arrest_n_892488.html

[Kingofalldems]

4. Watergate II will need another John Dean to step forward.

[JackRiddler]

6. This is how you get a crown witness.

Out of five, one is certain to sing, and sooner or later there will be a chorus!

Too bad the banksters and the criminals of the Bush regime didn't get the same treatment.

[gratuitous]

5. Odd; is there any report of this stateside?

After all, Murdoch is an American citizen and businessman. Shouldn't the U.S. media be all over this?

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Coulson has now been arrested

BBC ticker: "Former Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson is arrested in connection with NoW phone hacking scandal"

No article yet.

Update: police statement, via Guardian:

11.13am: Here is the full statement regarding the arrest of Andy Coulson:

The MPS has this morning <8 July 2011> arrested a member of the public in connection with allegations of corruption and phone hacking.

At 10.30am officers from the MPS' Operation Weeting together with officers from Op Elveden arrested a man on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications, contrary to Section1(1) Criminal Law Act 1977 and on suspicion of corruption allegations contrary to Section 1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906.

The man, aged 43yrs, was arrested by appointment at a South London police station. He is currently in custody.

The Operation Weeting team is conducting the new investigation into phone hacking.

Operation Elveden is the investigation into allegations of inappropriate payments to police. This investigation is being supervised by the IPCC.

It would be inappropriate to discuss any further details regarding these cases at this time.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/blog/2011/jul/08/news-of-the-world-phone-hacking-scandal#block-25