An interesting wrinkle in the unfolding News of the World phone hacking scandal is the future accommodation options of Andy Coulson.
Could they include prison?
The newspaper's former editor and Downing Street spin doctor was questioned about phone hacking by Tommy Sheridan during the latter's perjury trial. Questioned, let it be noted under oath.
Coulson made a number of statements which, if proved to be false by the continuing revelations of News International's activities, might constitute lying under oath. Or to give it another name: perjury, an offence which Sheridan will tell us is taken very seriously by the Scottish legal system.
Here are the key quotes:
I don't accept there was a culture of phone hacking at the NotW. There was a very unfortunate, to put it mildly, case involving Clive Goodman. No one was more sorry about it than me; that's why I resigned.
Tommy Sheridan: "Did the News of the World pay corrupt police officers?" Andy Coulson: "Not to my knowledge."
Tommy Sheridan: "Isn't it the case, Mr Coulson, that you knew all along about the illegal activities?" Andy Coulson: "No it's not, Mr Sheridan."
When asked if he had instructed anyone to intercept Sheridan's mobile phone: "I had absolutely no knowledge of it and I certainly didn't instruct anyone to do it."
All I can tell you is that, as far as my reporters are concerned, the instructions were very clear: they were to work within the law and within the PCC code.Now, it may well be that the editor of a London national newspaper had no idea what expensive services his staff were paying for or what they were up to. It may also be that every statement Coulson made at the Sheridan perjury trial was completely true. Or even that any untrue statements were minor or had not effect on the outcome of the trial. But pay close attention to what we learn about the NotW under his editorship because if it turns out that Coulson went into a Scottish court and lied about the above statements, the consequences could - and should - be very serious indeed.
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