Rebekah Brooks arrested

The BBC understands that Amy Wallis, the daughter of Neil Wallis, is a member of the Metropolitan Police Service Staff, working in a non-operational civilian role. Earlier we found out the IPCC would be looking into resigned Assistant Commissioner John Yates's "alleged involvement in inappropriately securing employment for the daughter of a friend".

Top cops resign as Murdoch scandal taints PM
Karen Kissane, London
July 19, 2011


Rupert Murdoch and his son James were due to be grilled by British MPs today about the phone hacking scandal. Picture: AP

TWO of Britain's top police officers have quit over the Murdoch phone hacking affair, with one of them dragging Prime Minister David Cameron deeper into the scandal.

London's Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who was in charge of the bungled 2009 review of the scandal, resigned last night, less than 24 hours after the departure of police chief Sir Paul Stephenson.

The bombshell came as News Corporation chief Rupert Murdoch, son James and former UK operations chief Rebekah Brooks - who was released without charge after being arrested on Sunday - prepared to face a grilling tonight by MPs.

Mr Yates, who was on the short-list to replace Christine Nixon in Victoria, admitted last week that his 2009 decision not to reopen the investigation into News International had been ''a pretty crap one''.

It took him only eight hours to decide that there was not enough evidence to re-open the inquiry, despite thousands of documents already being in the hands of police.

But the tipping point for him was yesterday's news that he was in charge of due diligence for the police force when it hired Neil Wallis, a former News of the World deputy editor, as a media consultant. Wallis was arrested last week over the scandal.

But the more pointed departure was that of Sir Paul, the nation's most senior police officer, who accused Mr Cameron of being potentially compromised by his links to former News of the World editor Andy Coulson.

Sir Paul resigned after it was revealed he accepted a free five-week stay at a spa that was publicised by Wallis.

But in his resignation speech, he said he quit over his failure to tell the Prime Minister that the police had employed Wallis - Mr Coulson's former deputy - as a media adviser. He implied this was because of Mr Cameron's relationship with Mr Coulson.

''Once Mr Wallis's name did become associated with [the hacking investigation], I did not want to compromise the Prime Minister in any way by revealing or discussing a potential suspect who clearly had a close relationship with Mr Coulson,'' he said.

He directly contrasted his force's decision to hire Wallis with Mr Cameron's decision to take on Mr Coulson.

''Unlike Mr Coulson, Mr Wallis had not resigned from News of the World or, to the best of my knowledge, been in any way associated with the original phone hacking investigation,'' Sir Paul said.

Mr Coulson, who has been arrested in relation to phone hacking and bribery, quit Mr Cameron's staff in January.

Mr Cameron was forced to cut short a trip to Africa and, under pressure from Opposition Leader Ed Miliband, has called an emergency sitting of MPs tomorrow.

Senior police sources quoted by The Guardian confirmed Sir Paul's attack was intentional, and showed the anger at Scotland Yard that Sir Paul had been willing to resign over the scandal while the political class had failed to take responsibility.

Mr Cameron, asked in South Africa what the difference was between Mr Coulson managing his media and Mr Wallis managing the police's, said: ''The issues have been around whether an investigation has been pursued properly. I don't believe the two situations are the same in any shape or form''.

Mr Yates resigned after learning he was to be suspended and referred by the professional standards committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority for investigation. Authority chairman Kit Malthouse said this was because of ''an accumulation of issues''.

Mrs Brooks was released on bail after nine hours of questioning and has not yet been charged. Her lawyer, Stephen Parkinson, said she was not guilty of any criminal offence and the Met's arrest of her was hard to understand.

Police did not put any allegations to her or show her any documents suggesting she had committed any crime.

''They will in due course have to give an account of themselves and in particular the decision to arrest her with the enormous reputational damage that this has involved,'' he said.

Mr Parkinson said she was still willing to attend the committee's hearing to answer questions: ''It's a matter for Parliament to decide what issues it is to put to her and whether her appointment should take place at a later date.''

Meanwhile, the latest celebrities to reveal they might have been hacked include David Beckham, Paul McCartney and his former wife Heather Mills.

The scandal continued to take its toll on Mr Murdoch's business interests, with shares in his Australian arm again falling sharply yesterday, by about 4 per cent. His newspapers in Australia include The Australian and the Herald Sun.



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/top-cops-resign-as-murdoch-scandal-taints-pm-20110718-1hlr6.html#ixzz1SU0PXvzS

carmen wrote:

The BBC understands that Amy Wallis, the daughter of Neil Wallis, is a member of the Metropolitan Police Service Staff, working in a non-operational civilian role. Earlier we found out the IPCC would be looking into resigned Assistant Commissioner John Yates's "alleged involvement in inappropriately securing employment for the daughter of a friend".

BBC

wjk wrote:

carmen wrote:

The BBC understands that Amy Wallis, the daughter of Neil Wallis, is a member of the Metropolitan Police Service Staff, working in a non-operational civilian role. Earlier we found out the IPCC would be looking into resigned Assistant Commissioner John Yates's "alleged involvement in inappropriately securing employment for the daughter of a friend".

BBC

Thanks carmen

Phone hacking: John Yates investigated over claims he 'inappropriately' got job for Neil Wallis's daughter
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating an allegation that John Yates "inappropriately" secured a Scotland Yard job for the daughter of hacking suspect Neil Wallis.

John Yates and Sir Paul Stephenson both resigned from the Metropolitan Police this week Photo: AFP/GETTY
6:41PM BST 18 Jul 2011

The IPCC has been asked to look into Mr Yates's actions as the officer with overall responsibility for Scotland Yard's investigation into phone hacking at the News of the World.
It is also considering Mr Yates's decision in 2009 that there was no need to re-open the hacking inquiry and allegations that he inappropriately secured a job for a friend's daughter.
Mr Yates resigned on Monday, citing "malicious gossip " which was a "significant distraction" in his role as head of counter-terrorism.
The IPCC refused to give any more details about the details of the referral.
The Metropolitan Police Authority has also asked the watchdog to examine the conduct of two former senior Met officers involved in the original phone-hacking investigation.
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It is understood they are ex-assistant commissioner Andy Hayman, who was in ultimate charge of the 2006 inquiry and later become a columnist with News International title The Times, and ex-deputy assistant commissioner Peter Clarke, who oversaw the investigation.
IPCC deputy chair Deborah Glass said: "The role of the Met Police in its original investigation into phone hacking has rightly come under huge public scrutiny.
"These matters are already the subject of a judge-led public inquiry announced on July 13 which is looking into the way in which police investigated allegations of conduct by persons connected to News International.
"I now need to assess these referrals carefully to determine what should be investigated at this stage, bearing in mind the judicial inquiry, and I will seek to liaise with Lord Justice Leveson as soon as possible.
"I will publish our terms of reference once I have carefully reviewed the material referred to us.
"To the extent that these referrals raise serious allegations about senior Met officers, it is right that they be independently investigated - and I will ensure that our investigation follows the evidence without fear or favour.
"It must also be right that people do not rush to judgment until that work is done."

Police examine bag found in bin near Rebekah Brooks's home
Former NI chief executive's husband denies bag – containing computer, paperwork and phone – belonged to his wife

Amelia Hill
guardian.co.uk, Monday 18 July 2011 20.54 BST
Article history

Charlie and Rebekah Brooks. Photograph: Tom Jenkins
Detectives are examining a computer, paperwork and a phone found in a bin near the riverside London home of Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of News International.

The Guardian has learned that a bag containing the items was found in an underground car park in the Design Centre at the exclusive Chelsea Harbour development on Monday afternoon.

The car park, under a shopping centre, is yards from the gated apartment block where Brooks lives with her husband, a former racehorse trainer and close friend of the prime minister David Cameron.

It is understood the bag was handed into security at around 3pm and that shortly afterwards, Brooks's husband, Charlie, arrived and tried to reclaim it. He was unable to prove the bag was his and the security guard refused to release it.

Instead, it is understood that the security guard called the police. In less than half an hour, two marked police cars and an unmarked forensics car are said to have arrived at the scene.

Police are now examining CCTV footage taken in the car park to uncover who dropped the bag. Initial suspicions that there had been a break in at the Brooks' flat have been dismissed.

David Wilson, Charlie Brooks's official spokesman, told the Guardian that Charlie Brooks denies that the bag belonged to his wife. "Charlie has a bag which contains a laptop and papers which were private to him," said Wilson.

"They were nothing to do with Rebekah or the [phone-hacking] case."

Wilson said Charlie Brooks had left the bag with a friend who was returning it, but dropped it in the wrong part of the garage. When asked how the bag ended up in a bin he replied: "The suggestion is that a cleaner thought it was rubbish and put it in the bin." Wilson added: "Charlie was looking for it together with a couple of the building staff.

"Charlie was told it had gone to security, by which stage they [security] had already called the police to say they had found something.

"The police took it away. Charlie's lawyers got in touch with the police to say they could take a look at the computer but they'd see there was nothing relevant to them on it. He's expecting the stuff back forthwith."

Rebekah Brooks was arrested on Sunday under suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications, and of corrupting police officers. She is due to appear before the Commons culture, media and sport select committee today on Tuesday afternoon.

almostgothic wrote:Was the bag big enough to hide a tennis racket in?






Oops sorry, wrong bullsh*t ...

almostgothic wrote:Was the bag big enough to hide a tennis racket in?






Oops sorry, wrong bullsh*t ...

Dimsie wrote:

almostgothic wrote:Was the bag big enough to hide a tennis racket in?






Oops sorry, wrong bullsh*t ...

Nice one!

almostgothic wrote:Was the bag big enough to hide a tennis racket in?






Oops sorry, wrong bullsh*t ...

Instead, it is understood that the security guard called the police. In less than half an hour, two marked police cars and an unmarked forensics car are said to have arrived at the scene.

kitti wrote:Rebekah brooks lawyer has said........mrs brooks is innocent off any wrongdoing and is angry at the way she has been treated.


Innocent off any wrongdoing ......didn't she amit that under her watch they PAYED police officers ....so that is NOT wrongdoing?

kitti wrote:And no doubt she will be taking him with her...tomorrow.

Does she think having him sit next to her that they won't ask any relevant questions.

Angelique wrote:This Wilson chap has just been shown declaring RB is innocent of any crime and that the Police will have to given explanations of their actions - Eh!

This business is such a tangled mass I very much doubt we will be able to pin anything on her. But as kitti says she said she knew about payments to the Police so she will have to somehow get round this. However, it's also a crime for not reporting that a crime has been committed that you know about. But she will be able to get round this I don't doubt.

Panda wrote:

Angelique wrote:This Wilson chap has just been shown declaring RB is innocent of any crime and that the Police will have to given explanations of their actions - Eh!

This business is such a tangled mass I very much doubt we will be able to pin anything on her. But as kitti says she said she knew about payments to the Police so she will have to somehow get round this. However, it's also a crime for not reporting that a crime has been committed that you know about. But she will be able to get round this I don't doubt.

Hi Angelique, wasn"t she at a meeting with Coulson and a Police Officer who was paid for "services rendered" and she supposedly said that she didn"t know Police Officers were paid. Rebekah is just as guilty as the rest of themand she is to be interviewed on her own tomorrow but some bright spark
had her arrested on Sunday which means she can claim not to answer questions which might incriminate her.I think that 9 hrs spent in the Police Station
proved very fruitful for the Police which is why she will be protected.

Rebekah is a tough cookie who was married to Ross Kemp and supposedly beat him up.

carmen wrote:

Panda wrote:

Angelique wrote:This Wilson chap has just been shown declaring RB is innocent of any crime and that the Police will have to given explanations of their actions - Eh!

This business is such a tangled mass I very much doubt we will be able to pin anything on her. But as kitti says she said she knew about payments to the Police so she will have to somehow get round this. However, it's also a crime for not reporting that a crime has been committed that you know about. But she will be able to get round this I don't doubt.

Hi Angelique, wasn"t she at a meeting with Coulson and a Police Officer who was paid for "services rendered" and she supposedly said that she didn"t know Police Officers were paid. Rebekah is just as guilty as the rest of themand she is to be interviewed on her own tomorrow but some bright spark
had her arrested on Sunday which means she can claim not to answer questions which might incriminate her.I think that 9 hrs spent in the Police Station
proved very fruitful for the Police which is why she will be protected.

Rebekah is a tough cookie who was married to Ross Kemp and supposedly beat him up.

Rebekah Wade (as was) and Kerry Katona have quite a bit in common