Rebekah Brooks, former chief executive of News International. Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters
Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of News International, is to be charged with perverting the course of justice, the Crown Prosecution Service said on Tuesday.
Brooks, who was arrested in March by Scotland Yard officers investigating phone hacking, is the first person to face charges in the major criminal investigation into hacking and allegations of bribing public officials.
Her husband, Charlie Brooks, the racehorse trainer and friend of the prime minister, is also to be charged, the CPS announced.
Mr and Mrs Brooks said: "We deplore this weak and unjust decision. After the further unprecedented posturing of the CPS we will respond later today after our return from the police station."
Brooks and her husband were told the decision on Tuesday morning when they returned to the police station to answer bail along with the five other suspects.
The pair will be summonsed to court where the charges will be formally laid.
The charges are the first since Operation Weeting began.
Scotland Yard has budgeted for three linked inquiries to run to 2015 at a cost of more than £40m. The CPS is still studying four more files which have been passed to them by detectives investigating phone hacking, leaks and alleged bribes to the police.
Source : The Guardian
Brooks, who was arrested in March by Scotland Yard officers investigating phone hacking, is the first person to face charges in the major criminal investigation into hacking and allegations of bribing public officials.
Her husband, Charlie Brooks, the racehorse trainer and friend of the prime minister, is also to be charged, the CPS announced.
Mr and Mrs Brooks said: "We deplore this weak and unjust decision. After the further unprecedented posturing of the CPS we will respond later today after our return from the police station."
Brooks and her husband were told the decision on Tuesday morning when they returned to the police station to answer bail along with the five other suspects.
The pair will be summonsed to court where the charges will be formally laid.
The charges are the first since Operation Weeting began.
Scotland Yard has budgeted for three linked inquiries to run to 2015 at a cost of more than £40m. The CPS is still studying four more files which have been passed to them by detectives investigating phone hacking, leaks and alleged bribes to the police.
Source : The Guardian
UPDATE : Two more arrested this morning for accepting bribes.
