Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Probe into infamous 1987 murder of British sleuth may reveal links to Murdoch media, ‘institutional police corruption’ – reports

Probe into infamous 1987 murder of British sleuth may reveal links to Murdoch media, ‘institutional police corruption’ – reports

A high-profile probe into the unsolved 1987 axe murder of a British private detective could reportedly link Rupert Murdoch’s media empire to “criminality” involved in the killing and expose a “culture of corruption” at the Met.
On March 10, 1987, Daniel Morgan, 37, was discovered with an axe lodged in his head in a south-east London pub car park. Over three decades later, it remains the most investigated case in British history after five corruption-mired inquiries and an inquest failed to bring the killers to justice.

Ahead of the release of its much-delayed report on Tuesday, a government-appointed panel that has been investigating the killing since 2013 apparently sent letters of warning to a number of individuals whose actions it criticises, according to The Guardian.

The publication reported that one such letter reveals that the inquiry might find the now-defunct News of the World paper as being “linked to the criminality associated with the murder.”

The panel is said to have investigated claims that at least two suspects in the crime had worked extensively for the tabloid, owned by Murdoch at the time.

Even after one suspect, Johnathan Rees, had been identified as such, the tabloid continued to employ his services, paying out upwards of £150,000 ($211,550) a year.

Rees and the other suspect were acquitted after the trial collapsed in 2011, and even won damages for the manner in which the police pursued the case. That year, Murdoch was forced to shutter the tabloid after its phone-hacking scandal.

Rees and Morgan had jointly run a private detective agency called Southern Investigations, which was regularly given work by the tabloid. Two of the paper’s executives had even set up a business registered at the agency’s address, according to The Guardian report.

In addition, the investigation has also apparently examined the scandal-hit tabloid’s surveillance of the lead police detective investigating Morgan’s murder. But The Guardian also noted doubts about whether such “details... of alleged criminality” would be included in the final 1,200-page report.

Murdoch’s News UK – the parent company representing his media interests – responded that it was not in receipt of any warning letter from the panel. The company said it had cooperated with the inquiry and denied attempting to hold up the release of its report.

“We have cooperated with and assisted the panel during their investigation. No communication has been received from the panel as part of their advance notice of criticism process,” News UK told the Guardian. “The suggestion that there has been any attempt by News UK to influence or delay the report’s publication is entirely without foundation and false.”

However, a solicitor for Alastair Morgan, the victim’s brother, refuted this and said the company’s “failure to cooperate speaks volumes in itself.”

Meanwhile, Alastair Morgan has said he would be “disappointed if the report did not come to the conclusion there was institutional corruption in Daniel’s case.” His family claims that Daniel Morgan had been working to expose police corruption at the time of his murder.

One of the panel’s focus areas was whether police corruption might have protected the killers. In its report, The Guardian noted that the probe examined “the incidence of connections between private investigators, police officers and journalists at the News of the World and other parts of the media and alleged corruption involved in the linkages between them.”

Citing an unnamed source “briefed on parts of the report,” the Daily Mail noted that it will “expose a culture of corruption and cover-up” at Scotland Yard with Commissioner Cressida Dick expected to be “personally criticised” by the panel for “alleged obstruction.”

According to The Guardian, more than 20 past and retired Met officers could face criticism after the inquiry, which has cost an estimated £20 million ($28.2 million), reveals its findings.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
China Criticizes US for Vetoing UN Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza
Saudi Arabia ranks first in UN index for e-government services in MENA
Israel Records 20% Drop In GDP, War In Gaza Is The Reason
Saudi Arabia's FDI Inflows Grow with New International Standards
Venture Capitals Power Up Across MENA Region
PM Modi Announces Opening Of New CBSE Office In Dubai
January Funding for MENA Startups Totals $86.5 Million
Saudi Arabia accelerates digital economy growth through Nvidia partnership
Israel unveils tunnels underneath Gaza City headquarters of UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Israel deploys new military AI in Gaza war
Egypt threatens to suspend key peace treaty if Israel pushes into Gaza border town, officials say
Saudi Arabia Warns Of A "Humanitarian Catastrophe" If Israel Moves On Rafah
US University To Shut Qatar Campus Due To "Heightened Mideast Instability"
Facebook and Instagram Ban Iran's Supreme Leader
Defense Technology Showcase Held in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rise 2.5% to $6bn in November 2023: GASTAT
Rolls-Royce Executive Encourages Saudi Women to Tap into Their Inner 'Superhero' for Success in Defense Industry
Saudi Arabia launches National Academy of Vehicles and Cars
Saudi Tourism Minister Reveals Plan for 250,000 New Hotel Rooms by 2030
SAR to more than double eastern network passenger capacity with new trains deal
Saudi Arabia Enhances National Defense with New Partnerships
Saudi Aramco Maintains Arab Light Crude Pricing to Asia for March
NEOM Establishes New York Office to Support Investors
Saudi Wealth Fund Draws in Over $25 Billion Worth of Investments in Three Years, Al-Rumayyan Reveals
The Saudi Kingdom's Ultimatum to Israel: A Win-Win Peace with Saudi Arabia and the Arab World, or a Lose-Lose Continued Occupation and Endless Conflict
Biden condemns anti-Arab hate after WSJ opinion piece calls Dearborn ‘jihad capital’
Turkey Releases Seven Hostages Captured by Pro-Gaza Gunman
Arab Parliament Commends Women's Contributions to Societal Development
British and Hungarian Foreign Ministers visited Lebanese leaders to stress the importance of enacting UN Resolution 1701
Yemen's Houthis Say They Targeted British Merchant Vessel In Red Sea
Donald Trump Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for 'Historic' Middle East Policy
US lawmakers approve F-16 jet sale to Turkey following NATO expansion support
Saudi Arabia Climbs 25 Places in World Bank's National Statistics Indicator
Tourism Growth in Saudi Arabia Fuels Advancements in the Hospitality Industry," Says Rotana Official
Houthi Rebels Request Departure of UN Staff from Yemen, Including US and UK Personnel, within a Month
Modi Inaugurates Hindu Temple on Site of Demolished Mosque in India
Over 25,000 Deaths in Gaza Amid Israeli Offensive
Escalating Clashes in Gaza as Israel Distributes Leaflets to Assist in Locating Hostages
Turkey's First Astronaut Set to Launch for International Space Station Today
Head of Palestinian Investment Fund Warns More People May Die of Hunger Than War in Gaza
Palestinian Envoy Criticizes UK for Alleged 'Double Standards' in Policies Toward Israel
Morocco to Lead UN Human Rights Council in 2024
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Egypt has been identified as the leading military force among Arab nations and ranks 15th globally
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Receives Additional Prison Sentence
"Gazans Urge Israeli Forces to Target Hamas in Leaked Audio"
Biden States US and UK Airstrikes on Houthis Were a 'Defensive Action
Large Pro-Palestine Rally in London as Gaza Conflict Hits Day 100
South Africa Urges World Court to Halt Israeli Actions in Gaza
×