PHONE HACKING SAGA CONTINUES

UPDATE 1 SEPTEMBER 2012:  Another person had been arrest in connect with and bailed but the name had not been revealed yet.

Rebekah Brooks, pal of David Cameron, and Andy Coulson his ex-spin doctor will be charged over hacking Milly Dowler’s phone. There will be five former staff accused of hacking the murdered schoolgirl’s voicemail.

The ex-News of the World editors Rebekah Brooks will be charged with plotting to hack the phone of Milly and ex-Fire Brigades Union boss Andrew Gilchrist.

The Crown Prosecution Service will charge seven of the ex-News of the World staff plus private investigator Glenn Mulcaire. They will have to face 19 phone-hacking charges altogether.

Coulson, Brooks, chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck, ex-managing editor Stuart Kuttner and former executive Greg Miskiw are accused of hacking Milly’s phone and others.

The paper’s ex-head Ian Edmondson and former executive James Weatherup were charged with phone hacking of famous people but not with Milly’s phone hacking. Their accusations were of hacking voicemail messages of well-known people. The prosecution stated that there more than 600.

Some of the alleged charges were politions Lord Prescott, Dame Tessa Jowell and Mark Oaten. Stars were Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Jude Law, Stenna Miller, Sadie Frost, Sir Paul McCartney, Heather Mills and footballer Wayne Rooney.

Others were celebrity chef Delia Smith, 7/7 London bomber survivor Prof John Tulloch, George Best’s son Calum and Sven Goran Eriksson.

Police stated that Coulson, Thurlbeck, Edmonson, Weatherup, Kuttner and Miskiw appeared at the police station and were charged with conspiracy to intercept communications without lawful authority from October, 2000 to August 9, 2006. Mulcaire was not charged for legal reasons. However, he was charged for four other offenders and one involving Milly’s phone.

A Met police spokesman said: “Rebekah Brooks had been rebailed to return to a South London police station on a date in early August and has not therefore been charged today.”

The date of August 16 was set aside at the Westminster magistrate’s court in Central London for the eight accused to appear there. If convicted they could face up to two years in prison.

Mrs Brooks issued a statement strait away that she is innocence. Mrs Brooks and her husband are close friend of David Cameron and her husband goes horse riding with Mr Cameron.

Mrs Brooks said: “I am not guilty of these charges.

“I did not authorise, nor was I aware of, phone hacking under my editorship.

“I am distressed and angry that the CPS has reached this decision when they knew all the facts and were in a position to stop the case at this stage.

“The charge concerning Milly Dowler is particular upsetting not only as it is untrue but also because I have spent my journalistic career campaigning for victims of crimes. I will vigorously defend these allegations.”

Brooks also faces three counts of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.  Mrs Brooks and her husband who is a race horse trainer, are accused of the same offence have to appear at Southwark crown court in London on September 26.

Downing Street did, for once, not comment regarding the charges made on Friday.  Wow, that makes a change – no comments – no white washing.

Lord Justice Leveson headed a public inquiry and it ended after 97 days, on Friday. It was held at the Royal Courts of Justice in Central London. He will produce his report as soon as possible.