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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Operation Elveden: Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks face charges | Operation Elveden: Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks face charges |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Ex-Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson and ex-News International executive Rebekah Brooks are to be charged in connection with payments to police and public officials. | Ex-Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson and ex-News International executive Rebekah Brooks are to be charged in connection with payments to police and public officials. |
| The Crown Prosecution Service said they were among five people to face action as part of the inquiry. | The Crown Prosecution Service said they were among five people to face action as part of the inquiry. |
| The others are journalists Clive Goodman and John Kay and Ministry of Defence employee Bettina Jordan Barber. | The others are journalists Clive Goodman and John Kay and Ministry of Defence employee Bettina Jordan Barber. |
| Operation Elveden is the Met Police investigation into corrupt payments. | Operation Elveden is the Met Police investigation into corrupt payments. |
| The five are to be charged with conspiring to commit misconduct in public office. | |
| Mr Goodman is the former royal correspondent of the now-defunct News of the World newspaper. | Mr Goodman is the former royal correspondent of the now-defunct News of the World newspaper. |
| And Mr Kay is the former Sun chief reporter. | And Mr Kay is the former Sun chief reporter. |
| Mr Coulson and Mr Goodman are to be charged with two conspiracies relating to the request and authorisation of alleged payments to public officials in exchange for information, including a royal phone directory known as the "Green Book". | Mr Coulson and Mr Goodman are to be charged with two conspiracies relating to the request and authorisation of alleged payments to public officials in exchange for information, including a royal phone directory known as the "Green Book". |
| 'Public interest' | 'Public interest' |
| It is said to have contained contact details for the Royal Family and members of the royal household. | It is said to have contained contact details for the Royal Family and members of the royal household. |
| The two counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office involve one between 31 August 2002 and 31 January 2003 and another between 31 January and 3 June 2005. | The two counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office involve one between 31 August 2002 and 31 January 2003 and another between 31 January and 3 June 2005. |
| In a statement, Mr Coulson said he was "extremely disappointed" by the CPS's decision. | |
| "I deny the allegations made against me and will fight the charges in court," he said. | |
| Ms Barber, Mr Kay and Mrs Brooks face one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office between 1 January 2004 and 31 January 2012. | Ms Barber, Mr Kay and Mrs Brooks face one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office between 1 January 2004 and 31 January 2012. |
| The MoD said it would not comment on the charges related to its employee. | |
| Alison Levitt QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), said: "All of these matters were considered carefully in accordance with the DPP's guidelines on the public interest in cases affecting the media. | Alison Levitt QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), said: "All of these matters were considered carefully in accordance with the DPP's guidelines on the public interest in cases affecting the media. |
| Other inquiries | Other inquiries |
| "This guidance asks prosecutors to consider whether the public interest served by the conduct in question outweighs the overall criminality before bringing criminal proceedings." | "This guidance asks prosecutors to consider whether the public interest served by the conduct in question outweighs the overall criminality before bringing criminal proceedings." |
| The five are set to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on a date to be fixed. | The five are set to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on a date to be fixed. |
| There is one remaining suspect who is still being investigated in relation to the charges faced by Mrs Brooks, Mr Kay and Ms Barber. | |
| So far 52 people have been arrested as part of Operation Elveden. | So far 52 people have been arrested as part of Operation Elveden. |
| Two of them, a retired police officer and a former journalist, have been informed that they will face no further action. | Two of them, a retired police officer and a former journalist, have been informed that they will face no further action. |
| Operation Elveden is being run alongside two other inquiries - Operation Weeting, which is looking at allegations of phone hacking, and Operation Tuleta, an inquiry into accusations of computer hacking and other privacy breaches. | Operation Elveden is being run alongside two other inquiries - Operation Weeting, which is looking at allegations of phone hacking, and Operation Tuleta, an inquiry into accusations of computer hacking and other privacy breaches. |
| The investigations into possible media and police misconduct followed allegations of phone hacking at the News of the World, which led to the closure of the paper after 168 years. |