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| Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks charged in Operation Elveden | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Ex-Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson and ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks have been charged over payments to police and public officials. | |
| Journalists Clive Goodman and John Kay and MoD employee Bettina Jordan-Barber also face charges, the CPS says. | Journalists Clive Goodman and John Kay and MoD employee Bettina Jordan-Barber also face charges, the CPS says. |
| Mr Coulson, who was editor of the News of the World before moving to Downing Street, says he denies the allegations. | Mr Coulson, who was editor of the News of the World before moving to Downing Street, says he denies the allegations. |
| Operation Elveden is the Met Police investigation into corrupt payments. | Operation Elveden is the Met Police investigation into corrupt payments. |
| Mr Coulson has been 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". | |
| It is said to have contained contact details for the Royal Family and members of the household. | It is said to have contained contact details for the Royal Family and members of the household. |
| Mr Goodman, a former royal correspondent at the now-defunct News of the World, is to face the same charges, the CPS says. | |
| These 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. | |
| Mr Coulson was charged when he answered bail at Lewisham police station and was bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 29 November. | |
| In a statement, Mr Coulson said he was "extremely disappointed" by the CPS's decision. | 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. | "I deny the allegations made against me and will fight the charges in court," he said. |
| Misconduct charge | Misconduct charge |
| Mrs Brooks and former Sun chief reporter John Kay have been charged with conspiring to pay Ministry of Defence employee Bettina Jordan-Barber around £100,000 for information. | Mrs Brooks and former Sun chief reporter John Kay have been charged with conspiring to pay Ministry of Defence employee Bettina Jordan-Barber around £100,000 for information. |
| The three face one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office between 1 January 2004 and 31 January 2012. | The three 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, who has not yet been formally charged. | |
| There is one remaining suspect who is still being investigated in relation to the charges faced by Mrs Brooks, Mr Kay and Ms Jordan-Barber. | There is one remaining suspect who is still being investigated in relation to the charges faced by Mrs Brooks, Mr Kay and Ms Jordan-Barber. |
| The Metropolitan Police said Mr Kay, 69, and Mrs Brooks, 44, were both charged as they answered bail on Tuesday. They will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on November 29. | The Metropolitan Police said Mr Kay, 69, and Mrs Brooks, 44, were both charged as they answered bail on Tuesday. They will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on November 29. |
| Alison Levitt, 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, 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. |
| "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. |
| 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. | 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. |