London, July 10: Britain’s most senior police officer has ordered an inquiry into reports that journalists at England’s News of the World paid private investigators to hack into thousands of phones, including one owned by ex-deputy prime minister John Prescott.
Journalists working for the tabloid newspaper, owned by Rupert Murdoch, are reported to have targeted celebrities, legislators and public figures, including Australian model Elle Macpherson and American actress Gwyneth Paltrow, seeking exclusive stories.
A report in the Guardian newspaper says that London police chief Paul Stephenson has ordered Assistant Commissioner John Yates to investigate allegations reporters worked with private investigators to access “two or three thousand” private mobile phones.
Assistant Commissioner Yates led a long-running investigation into the so-called “cash for honours” scandal that overshadowed the end of Tony Blair’s prime ministership.
According to the Guardian, private investigators working for the News of the World intercepted voicemail messages and gained access to personal data such as itemised phone bills, bank statements, tax records, social security files, and itemized telephone bills.
The Guardian also claims the tabloid paid about $1.6 million to settle court cases involving the tapping and hacking and that details of the operation emerged in a court case in 2008, but were suppressed by the police and the High Court.
Mr Prescott said, “I find it staggering that there could be a list known to the police of people who’ve had their phone tapped.
“I’m named as one of them. For such a criminal act not to be reported to me and not for action to be taken against the people who’ve done it reflects very badly on the police officers. And I want to know their answer.”
He also wants Britain’s newspaper watchdog, the Press Complaints Commission, and parliament’s media committee to investigate.
England’s Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, currently attending the G8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy, described the accusations as “very serious”.
es questions that are very serious, that will have to be considered. And I understand the police are considering an inquiry and so I have nothing more to say,” he said.
–Agencies–