Ex-Daily Star reporter claims he was asked to make up stories

Oh my God, this is just bullshit.

The most incredible thing is that he only receives one death threat a month.

SoK - spot on. This has been far and away the best day so far. McMullan's stuff is simply staggering. Worst human being in Britain right now? Possibly - and that's saying a LOT.

It's like he's taking the piss

Guy probably decided not to show up because he heard Taffy was a Cow-exploding fantasist mentalist.

How News Group hid the phone-hacking scandal

Judge criticises Murdoch empire as it agrees aggravated damages for 37 victims of News of the World

A high court judge said the Murdoch-owned company behind the News of the World had made "an admission of sorts" that it engaged in a deliberate cover-up of evidence relating to phone hacking, on the day that the publisher paid an estimated seven figures in damages to settle 37 phone-hacking claims brought by public figures ranging from Jude Law to John Prescott.

Mr Justice Vos, the judge presiding over the hacking cases, told News Group Newspapers (NGN) he had seen evidence which raised "compelling questions about whether you concealed, told lies, actively tried to get off scot free".

The judge ordered the company to search a number of computers which he said could contain evidence that its executives deliberately tried to destroy evidence of phone hacking, saying that he had seen emails which showed a "startling approach to the email record of NGN".

He said he had seen emails that showed how, days after the actor Sienna Miller wrote to the company asking it to retain emails which might relate to hacking her phone, "a previously conceived plan to conceal evidence was put in train by NGN managers".

The judge read out a section from the confidential court papers detailing the cover-up allegations made by hacking victims against the company's executives and directors. It included the charge that the company "put out public statements that it knew to be false", that it had "deliberately deceived the police" and had destroyed evidence of wrongdoing including "a very substantial number of emails" as well as computers.

News Group Newspapers refused to admit the allegations but agreed that damages paid to the victims could be assessed "on the basis of the facts alleged".

Earlier it emerged that while the company refused to admit its former directors and senior executives had presided over a cover-up, it agreed that "aggravated damages" could be calculated "as if" the allegations that they lied, obstructed police and destroyed evidence were true. The Murdoch subsidiary said it had made the concessions solely for the purpose of "the interest of the prompt and efficient determination" of the claims against it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/ja ... ng-scandal

Mysteries of Data Pool 3 give Rupert Murdoch a whole new headache

The arrest of four Sun journalists threatens to open a fresh phase of the scandal surrounding News International

The four men arrested on Saturday are not linked to the NoW. They come from the Sun, from the top of the tree – the current head of news and his crime editor, the former managing editor and deputy editor.

...

But behind the scenes, something very significant has changed at News International.
Under enormous legal and political pressure, Murdoch has ordered that the police be given everything they need. Whereas Scotland Yard began their inquiry a year ago with nothing much more than the heap of scruffy paperwork seized from the NoW's private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, Murdoch's Management and Standards Committee has now handed them what may be the largest cache of evidence ever gathered by a police operation in this country, including the material that led to Saturday's arrests.

They have access to a mass of internal paperwork – invoices, reporters' expense claims, accounts, bank records, phone records. And technicians have retrieved an enormous reservoir of material from News International's central computer servers, including one particularly vast collection that may yet prove to be the stick that breaks the media mogul's back. It is known as Data Pool 3.

It contains several hundred million emails sent and received over the years by employees of the News of the World – and of the three other Murdoch titles. Data Pool 3 is so big that the police are not even attempting to read every message. Instead, there are two teams searching it for key words: a detective sergeant with five detective constables from Scotland Yard working secretly on criminal leads; and 32 civilians working for the Management and Standards Committee, providing information for the civil actions brought by public figures and for the Leveson inquiry and passing relevant material to police.

For News International, Data Pool 3 is a nightmare. Firstly, no one know what is in there. All they can do is wait and see how bad it gets.

Second, the police clearly believe it may yield new evidence of the crimes they set out to investigate – the "blagging" of confidential data from phone companies, banks, tax offices etc; the interception of voicemails and emails; the payment of bribes to police officers.

Third – and most nightmarish – Data Pool 3 could yield evidence of attempts to destroy evidence the high court and police were seeking. Data Pool 3 itself was apparently deliberately deleted from News International's servers.

If proved, such conduct would be serious because it could see the courts imposing long prison sentences; and because it could have been sanctioned by senior employees and directors.

...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/ja ... ts-murdoch

several hundred million emails

Burn, News Corp, burn.

Plans for the launch of a new Sunday version of The Sun as a replacement for the News of the World have reportedly been put on hold following the arrest of four senior journalists connected to the paper.

Known as Project X, the Sun on Sunday has been widely rumoured to be in the works for some months, including recent reports suggesting that late April had been earmarked for its launch.

The Financial Times cites three senior insiders at publisher News International as saying that the project has been halted after raids by police on four senior journalists at the weekend.

The men were named by colleagues as Graham Dudman, a former managing editor of The Sun, and Fergus Shanahan, a former deputy editor, along with the paper's current head of news Chris Pharo and the serving crime editor Mike Sullivan.

They were all questioned by police on suspicion of corruption under the 1906 Prevention of Corruption Act, as well as aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office.

A serving police officer was also arrested at the weekend, and all five men were bailed until April and May.

The Financial Times said that News International is concerned that the negative publicity surrounding the arrests would damage the launch of the Sun on Sunday.

The paper would get the publisher back into the lucrative Sunday market following the decision to scuttle the News of the World at the height of the phone hacking affair.

But one source said: "It has gone way on to the back burner since Saturday."

Neville Thurlbeck, the former chief reporter of the News of the World, has even claimed: "The launch of that newspaper is not even being discussed now."

This isn't Gaf where being a Junior Member means you're opinion is worth strawberry float all, this is GRCade where nobody has a decent opinion.

The Sun has been plunged into its worst ever crisis following the arrest of five of its most senior journalists over corruption allegations, moving Rupert Murdoch to pledge his support for the paper amid rumours that it faces closure.

Rupert Murdoch is flying to London after five of tabloid's most senior staff are arrested in ongoing inquiry into alleged bribery

Murdoch's "total commitment" to continue to own and publish the Sun was sent to News International staff by chief executive Tom Mockridge after the journalists, who include the deputy editor, were arrested in connection with an investigation into inappropriate payments to police and public officials.

Mockridge confirmed that the five Sun journalists involved are deputy editor Geoff Webster, picture editor John Edwards, chief reporter John Kay, chief foreign correspondent Nick Parker and deputy news editor John Sturgis.

The Sun's editor, Dominic Mohan, said: "I'm as shocked as anyone by today's arrests but am determined to lead the Sun through these difficult times. I have a brilliant staff and we have a duty to serve our readers and will continue to do that. Our focus is on putting out Monday's newspaper."

A News International source said Mohan was "not resigning" but added that it was "obviously a dramatic day for him".

Sky News reported that Murdoch is flying into the UK to reassure Sun staff that he will not close the paper in the wake of the latest arrests. Murdoch is expected to visit News International staff in London towards the end of next week.

In an email to News International staff, Mockridge said he "had a personal assurance today from Rupert Murdoch about his total commitment to continue to own and publish The Sun newspaper."

He also called on staff to support Mohan at a time when the company was "facing our greatest challenge".

Amid accusations from the National Union of Journalists that Sun staff were being sacrificed to save Murdoch's reputation, Mockridge added that he had written to the Independent Police Complaints Commission to seek clarification on its oversight of the Elveden investigation into the Sun.

The worsening crisis at the tabloid could have wider ramifications for the Murdoch media empire, according to some media experts.

Clive Hollick, former chief executive of United Business Media, said the latest arrests could intensify the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation into News Corp in the US.

In a post on his Twitter account he added that the arrests "may lead to fines, director oustings and asset sales".

He also suggested that the developments could lead to the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom reviewing Murdoch's control of Sky television in the UK.

Hollick tweeted: "Will Ofcom conclude that Sun arrests on top of hacking render NI not fit and proper to hold #Sky license and make them sell shareholding?"

Rupert Murdoch's biographer Michael Wolff said on Twitter: "I've never known a point in News Corp history with so much internal acrimony."

A Surrey police officer, 39, a Ministry of Defence employee, 39, and a member of the armed forces, 36, were also arrested at their homes on Saturday on suspicion of corruption, misconduct in a public office and conspiracy in relation to both.

Three of the journalists - aged 46, 47 and 52 – the Ministry of Defence employee and the member of the armed forces were released on bail on Saturday night until May, while the police officer was bailed until March. Two journalists remained in custody.

The new arrests at Britain's bestselling newspaper will further rock News International, which is still reeling from the closure of the Sun's sister title, the News of the World last July, after it emerged that journalists had hacked the phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

The journalists, aged between 45 and 68, were arrested at addresses in London, Kent and Essex on suspicion of corruption, aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office, and conspiracy in relation to both these offences. They are being questioned at police stations in London and Kent.

News Corporation, the parent company of News International which owns the Sun and the Times, confirmed that five Sun staff were among those arrested today.

It said its Management and Standards Committee (MSC) had provided information to the Elveden investigation which led to the arrests and had also provided the option of "immediate legal representation" to those arrested.

"News Corporation remains committed to ensuring that unacceptable news-gathering practices by individuals in the past will not be repeated and last summer authorised the MSC to co-operate with the relevant authorities," it said.

"The MSC will continue to ensure that all appropriate steps are taken to protect legitimate journalistic privilege and sources, private or personal information and legal privilege.

"News Corporation maintains its total support to the ongoing work of the MSC and is committed to making certain that legitimate journalism is vigorously pursued in both the public interest and in full compliance with the law."

The NUJ has accused Murdoch of throwing his journalists to the wolves in a bid to save his company, adding that the reputation of those arrested will "inevitably" be damaged.

General secretary Michelle Stanistreet said News International staff were reeling and furious at "what many sense to be a witch-hunt" and "a monumental betrayal on the part of News International".

"Once again Rupert Murdoch is trying to pin the blame on individual journalists hoping that a few scalps will salvage his corporate reputation," she said.

The arrests come two weeks after four former and current Sun journalists as well as a serving Metropolitan police officer were arrested over alleged illegal police payments.

Senior Sun employees Chris Pharo, 42, and Mike Sullivan, along with former executives Fergus Shanahan, 57, and Graham Dudman, were named by sources as suspects facing corruption allegations. All five were released on bail.

Surrey police confirmed a serving officer was arrested at the officer's home address on Saturday as part of Operation Elveden.

Deborah Glass, deputy chair of the IPCC, said: "Today's arrests are further evidence of the strenuous efforts being undertaken to identify police officers who may have taken corrupt payments."

The MoD refused to comment.

Officers from Operation Elveden made the arrests between 6am and 8am as part of the investigation into allegations of inappropriate payments to police and public officials.

Operation Elveden, which runs alongside the Met's Operation Weeting team, was launched as the phone-hacking scandal deepened last July.

Its remit has widened to include the investigation of evidence uncovered in relation to suspected corruption involving public officials who are not police officers.

The homes of all eight detained men are being searched and officers are also carrying out searches at the offices of News International in Wapping, east London, the Metropolitan police said.