Neil Wallis has just responded to these new charges:
Neil Wallis (Photo credit: jon_cronshaw)
I’m devastated that more than 3 years after my initial arrest, this swingeing indiscriminate charge had been brought against me. My family and I have already paid a huge price for the police’s very public attention. Perhaps it is inevitable that after being such an outspoken critic of the collateral damage and pain caused by this needlessly vindictive and enormously costly investigation, the ire has been turned on me for something that occurred at NI of which I knew nothing and which I have always said was wrong Regrettably, legal reporting restrictions prevent me commenting further on this sad day.
Eariler from from the CPS
On December 2013, the Metropolitan Police Service submitted evidence for charging advice to the CPS in relation to Operation Pinetree, an investigation into an alleged conspiracy to hack phone messages by journalists at the News of the World. Additional evidence in the case was provided in June 2014. The file asked for charging advice on eight suspects; all were formerly employed at the News of the World. On 16 July 2014, the CPS announced that six of those individuals would face no further action whilst the evidence in relation to two further suspects remained under review. That review has now concluded.
Gregor McGill, a senior lawyer at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The CPS has authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Jules Stenson, former features editor of the News of the World and to summons Neil Wallis, former deputy editor of the News of the World with an offence of conspiracy to intercept communications in the course of their transmission, commonly known as ‘phone hacking’.“Both Jules Stenson and Neil Wallis will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 21 August 2014.
“May I remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against them will now be commenced and of their right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.“These decisions were taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and the DPP’s guidelines on the public interest in cases affecting the media. We have decided there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that a prosecution is in the public interest.”
Details of the full charge:Jules STENSON and Neil WALLIS between the 1st January 2003 and the 26th January 2007 conspired with Andy Coulson, Greg Miskiw, James Weatherup, Neville Thurlbeck, Daniel Evans, Ian Edmondson, Glen Mulcaire and other persons unknown, to intercept communications in the course of their transmission without lawful authority, namely the voicemail messages of well-known people and those associated with them Contrary to s.11 of the Criminal Law Act 1977
via Operation Pinetree: two charged – CPS News Brief.
For further info on the new hacking victims emerging, BBC Home Affairs Reporter Tom Symonds has some details from the Metropolitan Police:
BREAKING: BBC told police have informed 1300 they are on list of targets in newly identified phone hacking investigation.
— Tom Symonds (@tomsymonds) July 30, 2014
The Criminal Media Nexus 
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