Murdoch aide Rebekah Brooks charged in hacking scandal

MUMBAI: British public prosecutor has charged former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and five others including her husband Charles Brooks for perverting the course of justice in the phone hacking scandal that rocked Rupert Murdoch owned company in July last year.

Those charged include Cheryl Carter, Brooks? personal assistant; Mark Hanna, Head of Security at News International; Paul Edwards, Brooks? chauffeur who was employed by News International; Daryl Jorsling and a seventh suspect - both of whom provided security for Brooks supplied by News International.

The prosecutor has charged the accused with criminal offence for concealing material from officers of the Metropolitan Police Service and conspiring to remove seven boxes of material from the archive of News International.

Brooks and her husband criticised the decision saying it was "weak and unjust". Charles is a former racehorse trainer and school friend of Prime Minister David Cameron.

Senior prosecutor Alison Levitt concluded that in relation to all suspects, there is sufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction.

"I have concluded that a prosecution is required in the public interest in relation to each of the other six,? Levitt said in a statement.

The six accused are due to appear before London Court on a date to be determined.

Both Charles and Rebekah Brooks were arrested in March for engaging in phone hacking, police bribery, and exercising improper influence in the pursuit of publishing stories at the now defunct News of the World news paper.
She had resigned as head of News International in July in the wake of her arrest for the phone hacking scandal.

Earlier, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the British Parliament, which was probing the phone hacking scandal at News International, had ruled that the News Corp chief Rupert Murdoch is ?unfit? to lead the company.