(NaturalNews) One of the whistleblowers in a shocking scandal involving Rupert Murdoch-owned
News of the World (NOW) was recently found dead in his home, according to reports from the UK's
Guardian newspaper.
Sean Hoare, the first person to come forward with details about NOW's involvement in the illegal hacking of phones belonging to celebrities, royal family members, and others, claimed that then editor Andy Coulson knew about, and even encouraged, reporters to illegally hack into the phones of those who might make a good rag story.
The New York Times conducted an extensive
investigation into the NOW scandal back in
2010, which included torrid details provided by Hoare about what took place at the
paper behind closed doors. Besides "actively encourag[ing]" Hoare and others to phone spy on
celebrities and royal figures, Coulson allegedly presided over reporters' use of police "pinging"
technology to identify and locate subjects through mobile phone transmitter towers (
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/magazine/05hacking-t.html).
Coulson, of course, vehemently denied all awareness of such activity. Earlier on in the investigation, he claimed that he never condoned the use of phone hacking, and even stated that he could not recall a single case where it ever even took place. However, Hoar's recollection of the situation was much different.
"You'd just go to the news desk and they'd just come back to you," said Hoare about the partnership the paper had with local
police in accessing pinging technology, and how NOW was able to gain access to this private technology in exchange for police payouts. "You don't ask any questions. You'd consider it a job done. The chain of command is one of absolute discipline and that's why I never bought into it, like with Andy saying he wasn't aware of [what was happening] and all that. That's bollocks."
Hoare also made many other claims that exposed the corruption at NOW, which made him a potential target for elimination. His recent
death, which police and authorities have refused to suggest might be related to foul play, is highly suspicious in light of the circumstances. It remains to be seen if there is a concrete connection between Hoare's death and his spilling of crucial information, or if the event is mere coincidence.
Sources for this story include:http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/18/news-of-the-world-sean-ho...
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