News international scandal

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The News International scandal includes the illegal activities at News International , the British subsidiary of the US media group News Corporation Rupert Murdochs . Employees of the company-owned newspaper News of the World wiretapped conversations by illegally gaining access to cellphone mailboxes and are suspected of bribing police officers. As a result of the scandal, James Murdoch , CEO of News Corporation for Europe and Asia, announced on July 7, 2011 that the newspaper would be discontinued with the Sunday edition of July 10, 2011.

extent

News International is threatening a judicial inquiry after in February 2010 an elected several parties committee of the House in a 167-page parliamentary report executives of the newspaper News of the World accused the truth about the extent of the illegal interception of mobile phone mailboxes of thousands prominent personalities and politicians have been covered up by their journalists, as well as allegations of bribery .

In 2005 and 2006, “News International” was investigated for illegal wiretapping practices at “ Scotland Yard ” and both reporter Clive Goodman and private detective Glenn Mulcaire were arrested for a few months. In July 2009, the Guardian reported additional cases of wiretapping by the editorial staff, including several thousand potential wiretapping victims, and referred to an informant at Scotland Yard. John Yates, deputy chief of police, turned down a new investigation on the grounds that there was no new evidence, but had to admit before the UK Parliament that Scotland Yard had 11,000 pages of evidence since 2006, which had been found at Mulcaire. These included lists of almost 4,000 names and phone numbers of potential eavesdroppers.

If it was previously assumed that only politicians, celebrities and members of the royal family as well as servants of the royal family were wiretapped, it was announced in early July 2011 that the mailboxes and telephones of crime victims and relatives of fallen British soldiers were also tapped. The survivors of victims of the terrorist attacks on July 7, 2005 in London were also wiretapped. Finally, given the fierce reaction from the UK public, News of the World was closed on July 10, 2011.

Investigations and Consequences

On January 21, 2011, Andy Coulson resigned as communications advisor to British Prime Minister David Cameron . He was also the editor in charge of the newspaper at the time in question. Prime Minister Cameron announced several committees of inquiry to clarify the wiretapping scandal. The complete takeover of the pay TV provider British Sky Broadcasting by the News Corporation, which was planned at the same time , was abandoned by Rupert Murdoch after all parties represented in the House of Commons had spoken out against the project in the face of the scandal .

Paul Stephenson, Scotland Yard, resigned because of the affair

Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson was temporarily arrested on July 8, 2011 and released on bail the same day . The FBI opened an investigation into News Corporation on July 14 after the Guardian reported that the survivors of victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were wiretapped. News International executive director and former editor-in-chief of News of the World , Rebekah Brooks , resigned on July 15, 2011 and was arrested two days later. She was released on bail a day later. On July 15, 2011, a longtime companion of Rupert Murdoch, Les Hinton , CEO of Dow Jones & Company , which publishes the Wall Street Journal , resigned. Dow Jones & Company is a subsidiary of News Corporation . Hinton headed the UK News International from 1995 to 2007 , when the wiretapping incidents first came to light.

On July 17, 2011, the head of the London Metropolitan Police ("Scotland Yard"), Sir Paul Stephenson , resigned. He was caught in the crossfire of criticism when it became known that he had been partially paid for a spa stay. Former News of the World journalist Neil Wallis , who has since been arrested, was the spa company's PR head . Earlier it became known that police officers had given information to the newspaper in return for bribes. Likewise, his deputy and the responsible investigator, John Yates, resigned a day later. Former reporter Sean Hoare , who first incriminated Andy Coulson in September 2010, was found dead in his apartment, according to police.

He was also arrested after former editor-in-chief Brooks testified during a parliamentary hearing that Stuart Kuttner, in his role as editor-in-chief, might have ordered payments to private investigators for wiretapping. The investigation is made more difficult because the company is said to have deleted more than 200,000 emails since April 2010.

British Parliament hearing and special session

On July 19, 2011, Rupert and James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks were invited to a hearing in the British Parliament . At the public hearing, which was televised live, all three apologized for the wiretapping and corruption affair, but refused to accept responsibility and denied having known about the criminal activity. The resigned Scotland Yard chief Paul Stephenson testified on the same day at a hearing before the Interior Committee that 10 out of 45 employees in the police press department had worked for the newspaper group News International.

Great Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron justified himself on July 20, 2011 during a special session in front of Parliament for which he had interrupted a trip to Africa. He had met with family members or employees of Murdoch 25 times in 15 months in office. Cameron denied at the meeting that he had ever attended a dishonest meeting; The prescribed code of conduct was always observed. In retrospect , the Prime Minister would not have hired Coulson as head of communications for the government, but he also declined to apologize for the appointment.

New evidence

On August 16, 2011, the publication of a letter written on March 2, 2007 by former News of the World journalist Clive Goodman made it clear that the entire management team of the News of the World was aware of the illegal wiretapping practices of its journalists. Goodman had served a prison sentence for the newspaper's illegal wiretapping practices and lost his job at News of the World . He wrote the letter after he was released from prison. In his letter, now published by the UK Parliament's Media Committee, he said he had acted with the full support of the leadership. Other high-ranking employees of the sheet were informed about his wiretapping activities. Many of his colleagues have also tapped phones.

"This practice was widely discussed in the daily editorial conference, until explicit reference to it was banned by the Editor." ( "This practice [tapping phones to obtain sensitive information] has been widely discussed in daily editorial meetings until clear reference [to these practices] has been forbidden by Editor-in-Chief [Andy Coulson]" .

In addition, the then editor-in-chief Andy Coulson and the head of the newspaper's legal department, Tom Crone, had promised him that if he could keep the newspaper or other employees of the News of the World out of the matter, he could get another job at the newspaper Get newspaper.

Andy Coulson

On August 23, 2011, the BBC reported that Andy Coulson, after resigning as editor-in-chief of News of the World in January 2007, had received hundreds of thousands of pounds sterling for a year from the News of the World parent company News International (NI). It was a severance payment stretched over 12 months (until the end of 2007), which corresponded to two annual salaries. In addition, the Murdoch group provided Coulson with a company car free of charge for another three years, and also paid for his private health insurance. At that time, Coulson had long been working as the so-called communications director of the Conservative Party (July 2007 to May 2010) at an annual salary of around 275,000 British pounds (almost 315,000 euros). The new news contradicts Coulson's earlier statements on the matter. In July 2009, during a hearing before the House of Commons media committee, Coulson was asked by Labor MP Tom Watson whether his party salary had been his only income while serving with the Conservatives. Coulson had said yes. According to Watson's will, it is now to be investigated whether the donation is a covert illegal party donation from News of the World to the Tories, in order to influence their politics.

Arrests in the Sun

On the weekend of February 11-12, 2012, five senior editors of Sun, also part of News International, were arrested on suspicion of bribing police officers and officials.

Presentation of the final report and proposal for a press self-regulatory body

At the end of November 2012, the six-member commission to investigate the incidents in London presented its final report. As a consequence of the events, the chairman of the commission, Brian Leveson , called for an independent, legally established, self-regulatory body for the press to be able to impose fines of up to a million pounds (approx. 1.2 million euros). The previous regulation is carried out by a press complaints commission, which is composed of media representatives. The British Parliament plans to discuss plans in early December 2012.

Processes

On October 28, 2013, the trial of Rebekah Brooks , her husband Charlie Brooks, Andy Coulson and five other defendants began. Three defendants, the former News of the World chief correspondent and two members of the newsroom, pleaded guilty to illegal wiretapping. It was the first public confession in connection with the wiretapping scandal. The process ended on June 24, 2014 after 130 days of negotiations. Andy Coulson was found guilty on one count and sentenced to 18 months in prison. The remaining defendants were acquitted.

In June 2015, Neil Wallis, Andy Coulson's deputy, had to answer in court. He was accused of organizing the illegal wiretapping. Wallis was arrested in July 2011, but was initially released on bail after being questioned by the police. During the Andy Coulson trial, prosecutors decided they had enough evidence to prosecute Wallis' and journalist Jules Stenson, having previously ruled out charges. The charges were based largely on the testimony of journalist Dan Evans. Walli's defense attorney could not only prove that Evans' statements were full of inaccuracies. The defense was also able to convince the court that Wallis' allegation that he was unaware of what had happened was true, even though the prosecution alleged that given the extent of illegal wiretapping and knowledge, Coulson Wallis must have known about it as well. The jury acquitted Valais on July 1, 2015. Jules Stenson pleaded guilty and awaits the verdict.

In February 2015, the US Department of Justice ruled that no bribery charges would be brought in the US in connection with the wiretapping scandal.

The British public prosecutor's office is examining on the basis of police investigations whether there should be a lawsuit against News Corporation, the successor to News International as the person responsible for the wiretapping scandal, it became known in August 2015.

On December 11, 2015, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) stated that there was not enough evidence to bring charges against the company or ten Daily Mirror employees . It was established that it was common for journalists to use other people's telephones, so that it was not possible to unequivocally assign certain events to people. Calling phone numbers twice or connecting to a voice mail service was also not considered sufficient for eavesdropping. The CPS ruled that the company itself could not be reproached for having found an amicable settlement of the conflict under civil law, just as the rule to delete e-mails on a regular basis constitutes an obstacle to the judiciary. Gerald Shamash, attorney for Paul Gascoignes and Alan Yantobs , announced after the decision was published that he would request a review of the decision on behalf of his clients and urged other victims of the scandal to join in. According to the procedural rules, such a request must be made within five working days of the publication of the decision.

literature

Reports & documentation

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Newspapers & Information Services ( Memento of December 27, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ↑ News of the World to close amid hacking scandal In: BBC News of July 7, 2011
  3. ^ Murdoch closes the News of the World. ( Memento July 7, 2011 on WebCite ) Message from James Murdoch regarding the discontinuation of the newspaper. July 7, 2011, archive copy
  4. ^ Website News of the World. ( Memento of July 10, 2011 on WebCite ) Archive copy on the day of the discontinuation of July 10, 2011
  5. ↑ Murdoch Gate puts Tory boss under pressure , Spiegel Online from July 10, 2009
  6. ↑ David Leigh , Patrick Wintour, Caroline Davies: MPs' verdict on News of the World phone-hacking scandal: Amnesia, obfuscation and hush money. The Guardian , Feb. 24, 2010.
  7. ↑ Murdoch journalists are said to have bugged hundreds of celebrities , Spiegel Online from July 9, 2011
  8. ↑ London's top policemen atone for Murdoch's mess , Spiegel Online, July 18, 2011
  9. ↑ The newspaper is said to have spied on relatives of dead soldiers , Spiegel Online from July 7, 2011.
  10. ↑ Murdoch's cell phone hackers shock the British , Spiegel Online from July 6, 2011.
  11. ^ Resignation of Cameron's chief communications officer . NZZ Online , January 22, 2011.
  12. ↑ Nick Davies: Andy Coulson hit by new tabloid trick charges. The Guardian, Feb. 24, 2010.
  13. ↑ "We are all in it" , Handelsblatt from July 8, 2011.
  14. ↑ British force Murdoch to withdraw , Süddeutsche Zeitung of July 13, 2011.
  15. ↑ The wiretapping scandal plunges Cameron into crisis ( memento from July 9, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) in: Welt Online from July 8, 2011
  16. ↑ British police arrest ex-government spokesman in: Spiegel Online from July 8, 2011
  17. ↑ FBI investigates Murdoch group Spiegel Online on July 14, 2011
  18. ↑ Murdoch faces the American nightmare Spiegel Online from July 15, 2011
  19. ↑ Murdoch manager Brooks resigns ( Memento from February 11, 2012 in the Internet Archive ), Spiegel Online from July 15, 2011
  20. ^ "News of the World" scandal: Ex-editor-in-chief Rebekah Brooks arrested for wiretapping. Süddeutsche Zeitung, accessed on July 17, 2011 .
  21. ↑ wiretapping: Brooks released on bail, police chief goes to: Handelszeitung from July 18, 2011
  22. ↑ News Corp's Les Hinton resigns amid phone-hack scandal in: BBC of July 17, 2011
  23. ↑ Murdoch apologizes to the British in: Zeit Online from July 16, 2011
  24. ↑ London police chief takes his hat in: NZZ Online from July 18, 2011
  25. ↑ Police leadership resigns Süddeutsche Zeitung from July 19, 2011
  26. ^ Tabloid Hack Attack on Royals, and Beyond in: The New York Times, September 1, 2010
  27. ↑ "Says that I'm not there" in: Spiegel Online from July 19, 2011
  28. ↑ Senior Editor of News of the World arrested at Zeit Online August 2, 2011
  29. ↑ Murdoch prepares for the showdown in: Spiegel Online from July 19, 2011
  30. ↑ a b Great Britain: Murdoch claims not to have known anything. In: tagesschau.de . July 19, 2011, archived from the original on July 21, 2011 ; Retrieved July 19, 2011 .
  31. ^ The smiling one goes on the offensive at sueddeutsche.de, July 20, 2011 (accessed on July 21, 2011).
  32. ↑ Cameron does not want to apologize to welt.de, July 21, 2011 (accessed July 21, 2011).
  33. ↑ Cameron declines apology at stern.de, July 20, 2011 (accessed July 21, 2011).
  34. ^ The Guardian August 16, 2011: Phone hacking: News of the World reporter's letter reveals cover-up
  35. ^ A b New Statesman August 16, 2011: Clive Goodman's letter to News International
  36. ^ New Statesman August 16, 2011: A new bombshell in the phone hacking scandal
  37. ↑ Spiegel-Online August 16, 2011: Newspaper tip is said to have advocated spy practices
  38. ^ Die Zeit August 16, 2011: News of the World Ex-Reporter accuses Coulson of complicity
  39. ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung August 16, 2011: New records in wiretapping affair: Cameron under pressure ( Memento from August 16, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  40. ↑ taz August 17, 2011: Because of clueless.
  41. ^ The Daily Mail August 23, 2011: Andy Coulson 'was paid by NotW while working for the Tories'
  42. ↑ Spiegel-Online August 23, 2011: Cameron's nightmare is called Coulson
  43. ^ Süddeutsche Zeitung 23 August 2011: "News of the World" affair "Remarkable revelation"
  44. ↑ diepresse.com August 23, 2011: Great Britain: Scandal is getting more and more embarrassing for Cameron
  45. ^ The Guardian August 23, 2011: Call for inquiry into News International payments to Andy Coulson
  46. ^ The Guardian August 23, 2011: Andy Coulson reportedly paid by News International when hired by Tories
  47. ↑ Johannes Leithäuser: Only the naked is true. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . February 12, 2012, accessed February 13, 2012 .
  48. ↑ Media: Report on the wiretapping scandal in the British press submitted to welt.de, November 29, 2012 (accessed November 30, 2012).
  49. ^ Martin Evans: Phone Hacking Trial: Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson trial begins. The Daily Telegraph , October 28, 2013, accessed October 30, 2013 .
  50. ^ "News of the World" scandal: Three journalists confess to interception methods. Spiegel Online , October 30, 2013, accessed October 30, 2013 .
  51. ^ Judgment in the "News of the World" wiretapping scandal. Frankfurter Rundschau , June 24, 2014, accessed on June 26, 2014 .
  52. ↑ Hacking trial: Coulson guilty, Brooks cleared of charges. BBC News , June 24, 2014, accessed June 26, 2014 .
  53. ↑ Imprisonment for Cameron's ex-spokesman. Tagesschau , July 4, 2014, archived from the original on July 7, 2014 ; Retrieved July 9, 2014 .
  54. ↑ Phone hacking: Neil Wallis will not face prosecution in: The Guardian , February 22, 2013, accessed July 1, 2015
  55. ↑ Neil Wallis found not guilty of masterminding NoW phone hacking in: The Guardian, July 1, 2015, accessed July 1, 2015
  56. ↑ News Corp won't be prosecuted in US in relation to phone hacking in: The Guardian, February 2, 2015, accessed August 29, 2015
  57. ↑ Phone-hacking case: CPS considers corporate prosecution from: BBC News, August 28, 2015, accessed August 29, 2015
  58. ↑ Mark Sweney No further action on UK media phone hacking, chief prosecutor says in: The Guardian, December 11, 2015, accessed December 11, 2015
  59. ↑ Mark Sweney, Josh Halliday Phone-hacking victims expected to challenge CPS decision to end inquiry in: The Guardian, December 11, 2015, accessed December 12, 2015