Rupertgate Update: Another arrest and resignation (and a death)

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Let's turn to the British press for an update of events over the weekend. The only newspaper you can trust is The Guardian.

"Rebekah Brooks was released from police custody on Sunday night, a full 12 hours after her arrest by detectives investigating allegations of phone hacking and corrupting of police officers by the News of the World." Rebekah Brooks's arrest intensifies phone-hacking crisis| The Guardian.

"The Metropolitan police put no allegations to Rebekah Brooks during nine hours of interviews, her solicitor said on Monday, as he described the decision to arrest her as causing "enormous reputational damage." Rebekah Brooks's arrest damaged her reputation, says her lawyer | guardian.co.uk. "Stephen Parkinson, of law firm Kingsley Napley, said the former News International chief executive was not shown documents connecting her to any crime during questioning on Sunday."

It was also confirmed on Monday that Brooks will definitely appear before MPs on the Commons culture, media and sport select committee on Tuesday to be quizzed about the phone hacking affair. She will answer MPs' questions from 3.30pm, with Rupert and James Murdoch appearing at 2.30pm.

Will any American television networks be carrying this testimony? How about a replay at a reasonable hour.

In other news, Britain's top police officer Sir Paul Stephenson turns on David Cameron | The Guardian:

Britain's top police officer has resigned and turned on the prime minister in a dramatic escalation of the phone-hacking scandal.

In a carefully worded resignation speech that appeared aimed directly at Downing Street, Sir Paul Stephenson, the commissioner of the Metropolitan police, said the prime minister risked being "compromised" by his closeness to former News of the World editor Andy Coulson.

[Stephenson focused on] his decision not to inform the prime minister that the Met had employed Coulson's former deputy Neil Wallis as a strategic adviser.

"Once Mr Wallis's name did become associated with Operation Weeting [into phone hacking], 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.

* * *

Stephenson had been due to appear before the home affairs select committee tomorrow [Monday]. His sudden exit increases the pressure on assistant commissioner John Yates, the officer who led the phone hacking inquiry, to quit.

"British Prime Minister David Cameron has called for a one-day delay to MPs' summer break to allow parliament to discuss further developments in the phone-hacking scandal" on Wednesday. Phone hacking: David Cameron agrees to postpone parliamentary recess | guardian.co.uk:

And he signalled that John Yates could be the latest casualty of the affair as he announced there would be "further meetings" about the fate of the assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police who reviewed the phone-hacking case in 2009.

The prime minister made his comments as the BBC reported on Monday that Yates was also on the committee that vetted Neil Wallis for work with the Met.

Cameron suggested delaying the parliamentary recess amid criticism over his decision to continue his trip to Africa despite the fast-moving events of the last few days.

BREAKING UPDATE I: "Assistant Commissioner John Yates has this afternoon indicated his intention to resign to the Chair of the MPA. This has been accepted. AC Yates will make a statement later this afternoon." Statement re AC John Yates – Metropolitan Police Service (UK).

BREAKING UODATE II: Sean Hoare, the former News of the World showbiz reporter who was the first named journalist to allege Andy Coulson was aware of phone hacking by his staff, has been found dead, the Guardian has learned. News of the World phone-hacking whistleblower found dead | The Guardian:

"The death is currently being treated as unexplained, but not thought to be suspicious. Police investigations into this incident are ongoing."

Hoare first made his claims in a New York Times investigation into the phone-hacking allegations at the News of the World.

He told the newspaper that not only did Coulson know of the phone hacking, but that he actively encouraged his staff to intercept the phone calls of celebrities in the pursuit of exclusives.

Rupert Murdoch may want to retain Rumpole of the Bailey for his defense barrister.

Just for fun, here is Hugh Laurie, whom most Americans know as "Doctor House" ironically on FOX, and Stephen Fry when they were doing the comedy sketch show "A Bit of Fry & Laurie." This sketch is a takeoff on "It's a Wonderful Life" in which Rupert Murdoch is shown a world in which he was never born by Clarence his guardian angel. It ends quite differently. Not Work Safe. H/t crooksandliars.com.