UK phone hacking: British police call for criminal charges against 11

Four journalists, a police officer and six others are facing criminal charges over alleged phone hacking by British tabloid newspapers, it was reported Wednesday.

The Crown Prosecution Service said police had handed it files on four cases, BBC News reported. 

The cases reportedly include allegations that a reporter paid a police officer for information and that another attempted to pervert the course of justice, while misconduct in a public office, witness intimidation and harassment are also alleged. 

It is not clear if any of the 11 are employees of the British subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

News Corp. shut down its British tabloid, the News of the World, amid public outrage over illegal eavesdropping by its journalists, CNN wrote.

While dozens of people have been arrested in any of the three parallel investigations stemming from phone hacking allegations — including former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks among at least 25 past and present employees of News International— no one has been charged, the Associated Press reported.

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The investigations range from alleged bribery of public officials, to phone and computer hacking.

In a statement reported by the BBC, Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service refused to disclose the identities of those involved, or give any estimate on when decisions on potential prosecutions may be reached. 

“We are unable to give any timescale for charging decisions, except to say that these cases are being considered very carefully and thoroughly, and the decisions will be made as soon as is practicable,” the service said in a statement.

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