Confessions of a News International Chauffeur

Paul Maley

This is a strange tale, I can only put the known facts before you and certain claims which are already in the public domain. You’ll have to decide the veracity of the story yourself.

We know that Paul Maley was a chauffeur for News International from 2005 until 2009 and that most of that time he spent driving Clive Milner, the Chief Operating Officer of News International but Paul Maley claims that his duties and responsibilities were not restricted soley to driving  NI executives around London, on at least  17 occasions, according to Mr Maley, he delivered packages containing cash to 10 police officers in the capital between 2006 and 2007.

Mr Maley claims that, it was only on the third such journey that curiousity got the better of him and he opened one of the packages which he estimated to have contained around £5,000.

Mr Maley alleges the packages were always handed over in public places, including Hyde Park and that the recipient had been informed beforehand of the time and location of these ‘drops’ and given a description of Mr Maley and the car which the recipient would then approach.

Now, no less than Rebekah Brookes at a Select Committee hearing in Parliament admitted that payments had been made to the police for information and so, that payments were made to police officers is in little doubt and Mr Maley’s allegations would at least clear up how some of those payments were made.

When the News International hacking scandal and the associated police bribery scandal hit the headlines and public consciousness, Paul Maley decided to go to the police with his allegations.  Mr Maley has claimed that since then he had become the target of a ‘campaign of intimidation’, which he says was, designed to deter him from  identifying the officers who he delivered packages to, including threatening phone calls, damage to his car and even dog excrement posted through his letterbox.

And so on September 30th 2011, Mr Paul Maley decided to go and see his own constituency MP to see if he could intervene to stop this harrassment.

Unfortunately for Mr Maley, and not just for the obvious reason, Mr Maley’s constituency MP is Culture Secretary Mr Jeremy Hunt.

Mr Hunt acknowledges that the 40 minute meeting took place.

As well as alleging police bribery and intimidation at this meeting with Mr Hunt, Mr Maley also confided in Mr Hunt and told him that he had a ‘Black Book’ which listed the names of the corrupt officers which had previously been held by News International drivers and which was under lock and key in a safe location.

Soon after this meeting took place, Mr Maley claims that a senior figure at News International contacted him who said, ‘I understand that you have an artefact’ and who suggested ‘sorting this out’. As News International had not been aware that Mr Masey had this driver’s ‘Black Book’ it is difficult to understand how they could have gained that information.

What we know for sure because a spokesperson for Mr Hunt has acknowledged is that Mr Hunt reported the criminal allegations to both the Surrey and Metropolitan Police.

And that brings us neatly to the next bizarre twist in this odd tale, for, in January this year Mr Maley was tried on charges of impersonating a police officer at Guildford Crown Court. The judge acquitted him on the grounds of lack of evidence.

Mr Maley claims that these were trumped up charges designed to silence him.

Mr Maley’s lawyers say the prosecution was in possession of documents which would have helped Mr Maley’s case but were barred from handing them over by order of a Public Interest Immunity Certificate, a ruling which allows government ministers, prosecutors, police and even private companies to ensure evidence remains secret from those facing trial. The CPS would not comment on why the trial was abandoned.

But this may not be the last we hear of Mr Paul Maley as he seems determined to pursue this and we may even see him at the Leveson Inquiry.

Steven Heffer, of Collyer Bristow Solicitors, who is representing Paul Maley, said: ‘I can confirm I have been instructed to prepare a statement for submission to the police, the Leveson Inquiry and others, concerning certain payments made in 2006  and 2007’

We shall see.