British Prime Minister David Cameron’s friend and former communications chief Andy Coulson was arrested by the metropolitan police on Friday morning over allegations of corruption and phone hacking.
Along with Mr Coulson, the 43-year-old former editor of the News of the World, the police on Friday also arrested the tabloid’s former royal editor Clive Goodman, who was jailed for four months in 2007 for illegal phone hacking. Private investigator Glenn Mulcaire had been jailed along with Goodman for plotting to intercept voicemail messages left for royal aides. Goodman, 53, was arrested over allegations of corruption in Surrey and the police is searching his residence.
Mr Coulson is expected to be freed on bail and will have to appear in court at a later date with three former colleagues Ian Edmondson, Neville Thurlbeck and James Weatherup, arrested earlier this year.
“It would be inappropriate to discuss any further details regarding these cases at this time,” the police said after the arrests, refusing to give any details about the arrests and the new line of questioning.
Mr Cameron, who described Mr Coulson as a friend at his Downing Street press conference on Friday morning, defended his decision to hire Mr Coulson, first as Tory commincations chief and then after his election last year as his communications chief in Downing Street.
“I became friends with him and I think he did his job for me in a very effective way. He became a friend and he is a friend,” Mr Cameron said, adding he had given him a second chance after Mr Coulson resigned as editor of the News of the World in January 2007. He resigned in January this year as Downing Street communications chief.
“The decision to hire him was mine — and mine alone — and I take full responsibility for it,” Mr Cameron said.
The Prime Minister also indicated it was time for News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks to resign. “It has been reported that she offered her resignation over this and in this situation, I would have taken it,” he said.
Mr Cameron also announced a judicial inquiry into the phone hacking scandal, to look into “why did the first police investigation fail so abysmally; what exactly was going on at the News of the World and what was going on at other newspapers.” The inquiry will, however, only start once the police investigations into the scandal end.
The speculation about News International planning to launch the Sun as a Sunday newspaper led to adverse reactions from politicians and the public in the UK on Friday. Reports highlighted the fact that the name “Sun on Sunday” and the domain name thesunonsunday.co.uk had been recently registered.
The proposed takeover of BSkyB by News Corporation has hit a roadblock, with Mr Cameron admitting that a decision may take “some time.” News Corp, which owns 39.1 per cent of BSkyB, wants a complete takeover of the company.
“Governments must follow the proper legal processes and procedures. That is exactly what (culture secretary) Jeremy Hunt is doing. His role is to take the advice of independent regulators. And, as his department made clear, given the events of recent days, this will take some time,” Mr Cameron said.
Mr Hunt too said the decision on the takeover would take more time now. “The secretary of state will consider carefully all the responses submitted and take advice from Ofcom and the Office of Fair Trading before reaching his decision,” his office said Friday afternoon in a statement.
“Given the volume of responses, we anticipate that this will take some time. He will consider all relevant factors including whether the announcement regarding the News of the World’s closure has any impact on the question of media plurality.”