A Police officer who complained to the Leveson Inquiry over a newspaper group’s collusion with a Scottish police force has been told he may be called to give a witness statement.
As I reported earlier in my Cops & Bloggers update, the cop is pushing for answers after a massive operation against him collapsed in farce. He told Leveson lawyers senior police officers and newspaper executives colluded against him, even destroying evidence that he claims could have helped in his defence.
He walked free from all charges after two days of Crown evidence, but feels the Inquiry should be looking carefully at the links between media organisations, senior media lawyers and police forces across the UK.
The following email, redacted here, was sent to the Leveson Inquiry earlier today:
Dear Sir
I would like to bring to your attention the actions of the ********* newspaper part of the *********** Group and Strathclyde Police which I believe merit the attention of your ongoing inquiry.
I was a serving police officer with Strathclyde Police and was arrested on * june 2004 over corruption charges related to selling stories to the above mentioned newspaper.
The case was eventually heard at Glasgow Sheriff and Jury court where on * April 2009 the Sheriff directed a verdict of no case to answer
During the ongoing inquiry into me I believe that there was wilful wrongdoing and collusion between senior management of Strathclyde Police and senior management of the ******(newspaper),
The reasons are listed below:
1: The enquiry was called Operation Merlin and one of the senior officers on the case, a **********(police officer’s rank), was in the pay and was a source of the *******(newspaper)
2: There were several meetings between Strathclyde Police and legal representatives of the newspaper ensuring that a deal could be struck whereby no member of the *******(newspaper) group would face any charges
3: The senior editor of the ********(newspaper), Mr ******* ***********, shredded important documentation relating to my case which would have been beneficial in the presentation of my defence case.
4: The enquiry team in my opinion were selected for their ”obsessive ambition ” and manufactured and presented evidence at any cost to attempt to secure a conviction in this case.
They had knowledge via illegal phonetaps of ongoing stories that a reporter was working on…
5: If I had been convicted of these serious crimes I have no doubt I would have received a custodial sentence and the underhand methods employed by Strathclyde Police and *********(newspaper group) would have been successful. I am writing to you to ask if this is information that you would consider during your inquiry. I feel it is important in terms of how newspapers work in collusion with police forces.
I have paperwork etc related to the above.
A newspaper colluded with a police force to avoid publicity and charges over this matter. I was the scapegoat for both and it almost cost me my freedom.
Yours
************** *********************
What follows is the emailed response from the Leveson Inquiry, received earlier this evening. Again, I have redacted some details for legal reasons:
From: Leveson Inquiry Solicitors Team <Solicitors.Team@levesoninquiry.gsi.gov.uk>
Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:43:52 +0000
To: ******@aol.com’<********@aol.com>; Leveson Inquiry Solicitors Team<Solicitors.Team@levesoninquiry.gsi.gov.uk>
Subject: RE: *NEWSPAPER NAME* and Strathclyde Police
Dear Mr **********
Thank you for your e-mail, the contents of which are noted. In view of the experience which is set out in your letter, the Inquiry proposes to retain your details with a view to deciding whether it would wish to seek further information or a witness statement from you in due course.
Kind regards
Sharron Hiles
Senior Assistant Solicitor to the Inquiry
ends
