At the end of last week, the Commons Home affairs committeehad a meeting to update itself on where we are at with the Murdoch investigations of Operations Weeting, Elveden and Tuleta. DAC Sue Akers turned up as we have seen in ericlewis0 diary
Its generally considered that this appearance by Sue Akers was her worst appearance before any of the several comities or Inquiry, seeming to be short on knowledge of related investigations and the related numbers. This was in marked difference to earlier appearances where she has seemed thoroughly on top of her brief.
As with other days where the police have appeared under pressure they have responded by announcing that there is some positive action. Normally this has happened the weekend before a segment of the Leveson Inquiry has commenced (The look over here we're actualy doing something strategy)
So today an anouncement has slipped out that further files have been passed to the CPS,
CPS gets new files from investigations into alleged phone hacking | UK news | guardian.co.uk
Scotland Yard has referred new files in relation to seven individuals, including four journalists, to the Crown Prosecution Service for charging advice following investigations into alleged phone hacking and illegal payment to police and other public officials.
The latest referrals all took place in August, but have not been publicised by the Metropolitan police.
Now it normally takes about three weeks for a file to be handed in to decisions be made so we should be due decisions in the next couple of weeks, as the files were handed over some time over a week ago
Interesting bits in the article,
1) Another person is linked to the perverting the course of Justice surrounding Rebekah Brooks
2) the further charges of two members of the public in respect to operation Weeting is to do with money Laundering. This suggests that payment for stories that were the result of phone hacking may have been routed through third parties.
3) the police are beginning to provide files from Elveden evidence, covering payments between Journalists and Public Officials, this appears to mainly concentrate on a second Murdoch newspaper.
And then today a second story came out
Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh sues News International and the Sun | UK news | guardian.co.uk
Siobhain McDonagh, a Labour MP, has launched a legal action against News International and the Sun in relation to the theft of her mobile phone and is seeking damages for alleged invasion of privacy and breach of confidence.
The claim, which was lodged with the high court on 6 September, comes two months after a Sun journalist was arrested and bailed by officers working on Operation Tuleta, Scotland Yard's investigation into computer hacking and other invasions of privacy.
The 35-year-old Sun journalist was arrested on suspicion of "handling stolen goods" in July in relation to a reported phone call from a member of the public who believed they had an MP's mobile phone.
This is the first civil case to add detail to the Operation Tuleta phone theft strand, taking the case in a whole new direction that could potentially be very interesting