Rebekah Brooks hits out at Met police chief’s evidence to the Leveson Inquiry
Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks has criticised the police chief in charge of the investigations into allegations of wrongdoing at The Sun and the News of the World.
Brooks said the Leveson Inquiry testimony of Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Sue Akers in February involved unsubstantiated allegations and led to "highly damaging press reporting" in relation to Scotland Yard's ongoing investigations into phone hacking, corruption of public officials and computer hacking.
She also claimed that Akers testimony was delivered ‘as if it were fact’, while discussing people who are currently involved in a live investigation.
The Guardian reports that in a closing witness statement to the inquiry, Brooks also levelled criticism towards the testimonies of three other witnesses, former Scotland Yard deputy assistant commissioner Brian Paddick and former police officer Jacqui Hames.
Paul McMullan, a former collegue at News of the World was also criticised by Brooks.
Of these witnesses, Brooks claims that they made allegations which had little evidence to back their claims up, and asked Lord Leveson not to repeat the allegations delivered them within his final report.
Brooks is one of eight journalists currently charged with phone hacking, with Brooks also facing charges relating to the Milly Dowler phone hacking case.