Rebekah Brooks Charged Over Phone Hacking
May 15, 2012
Rebekah Brooks, the former head of Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper wing and a key figure in the phone hacking crisis, is to face criminal charges over the scandal, it was announced Tuesday.
The Crown Prosecution Service said that Brooks "conspired with her husband, Charles Brooks, and others to pervert the course of justice." Speaking at a press conference, Alison Levitt, the chief adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, said that Brooks, her husband, her assistant, their chauffeur, their security and the head of security at News International had all been charged. She claimed that Brooks and her assistant had illegally removed seven boxes of material from News International headquarters, and that the group had tried to conceal information from the police about the phone hacking scandal.
In a statement, Brooks and her husband said, ""We deplore this weak and unjust decision. After the further unprecedented posturing of the CPS we will respond later today after our return from the police station."
Brooks becomes by far the highest-profile member of the Murdoch inner circle to be criminally charged in connection with the scandal. She, her husband and four others are the first to face charges stemming from Operation Weeting, the police investigation into phone hacking that was launched in January of 2011.
Brooks was arrested in March and questioned about the allegations that led to Tuesday's formal prosecution. She was also arrested in July of 2011 in relation to corruption.
The charges represent a humiliating nadir for the woman who rocketed through the ranks at News International and became one of Murdoch's most crucial deputies.
Below, read the charges, from the Crown Prosecution Service:
Developing...
The Crown Prosecution Service said that Brooks "conspired with her husband, Charles Brooks, and others to pervert the course of justice." Speaking at a press conference, Alison Levitt, the chief adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, said that Brooks, her husband, her assistant, their chauffeur, their security and the head of security at News International had all been charged. She claimed that Brooks and her assistant had illegally removed seven boxes of material from News International headquarters, and that the group had tried to conceal information from the police about the phone hacking scandal.
In a statement, Brooks and her husband said, ""We deplore this weak and unjust decision. After the further unprecedented posturing of the CPS we will respond later today after our return from the police station."
Brooks becomes by far the highest-profile member of the Murdoch inner circle to be criminally charged in connection with the scandal. She, her husband and four others are the first to face charges stemming from Operation Weeting, the police investigation into phone hacking that was launched in January of 2011.
Brooks was arrested in March and questioned about the allegations that led to Tuesday's formal prosecution. She was also arrested in July of 2011 in relation to corruption.
The charges represent a humiliating nadir for the woman who rocketed through the ranks at News International and became one of Murdoch's most crucial deputies.
Below, read the charges, from the Crown Prosecution Service:
CHARGE 1 - CONSPIRACY TO PERVERT THE COURSE OF JUSTICE
Rebekah Brooks between 6th July and 19th July 2011 conspired with Charles Brooks, Cheryl Carter, Mark Hanna, Paul Edwards, Daryl Jorsling and persons unknown to conceal material from officers of the Metropolitan Police Service.
CHARGE 2 - CONSPIRACY TO PERVERT THE COURSE OF JUSTICE
Rebekah Brooks and Cheryl Carter between 6th July and 9th July 2011 conspired together permanently to remove seven boxes of material from the archive of News International.
CHARGE 3 - CONSPIRACY TO PERVERT THE COURSE OF JUSTICE
Rebekah Brooks, Charles Brooks, Mark Hanna, Paul Edwards and Daryl Jorsling conspired together and with persons unknown, between 15th July and 19th July 2011, to conceal documents, computers and other electronic equipment from officers of the Metropolitan Police Service.
"All these matters relate to the ongoing police investigation into allegations of phone hacking and corruption of public officials in relation to the News of the World and The Sun newspapers.
Developing...
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