Those who have followed the Murdoch UK phone hacking scandal at the newspaper tabloid “News of the World” owned by Murdoch’s corporation News International, might also be interested in some further developments involving a British Freemason.
Guardian reporter Nick Davies reports that Freemason Jonathan Rees set up a network of informers and that he performed many “Watergate” like illegal actions to sell private and privileged information to “News of the World” among others. In an article titled “Freemason Used Dark Arts To Set Up Spy Ring Of Corrupt Cops On Behalf Of Rupert Murdoch’s News International” Davies charges that Freemason Rees recruited a detective sergeant, Sid Fillery, from the Metropolitan Police force who became his partner. Along the way were added Customs Officers, a Vat inspector and bank employees all who cooperated with Rees and Fillery to obtain information illegally and to blackmail many into handing over even more sensitive information.
“It is this network of corruption which lies at the heart of yesterday’s claim in the House of Commons by Labour MP Tom Watson that Rees was targeting politicians, members of the royal family and even terrorist informers on behalf of Rupert Murdoch’s News International. The Guardian’s own inquiries suggest that Watson knows what he is talking about.”
“Much of what the police sources were able to sell to Rees was directly related to crime. But Rees also bought and sold confidential data on anybody who was of interest to his Fleet Street clients, to which the police often had special access. The Guardian has confirmed that Rees reinforced his official contacts with two specialist ‘blaggers’ who would telephone the Inland Revenue, the DVLA, banks and phone companies and trick them into handing over private data.”
Here are some of the charges that Rees is alleged to have perpretated
- Hacking into former British intelligence officer Ian Hurst’s computer
- Targeting two Metropolitan Police commissioners
- Targeting the Bank of England and obtaining private financial information on prominent politicians
- Bugging other reporter’s telephones
- Committing burglaries to steal confidential material
Rees is said to have obtained “dirt” on several prominent politicians and even members of the Royal family. He was charged with the axe murder of his former partner Daniel Morgan and was recently acquitted.
Such a widespread scandal by a Freemason will certainly fan the fires of anti Masonry in the UK and bolster the demands that all government employees and candidates for public office be required to publicly announce their Masonic affiliation. Stay tuned as this scandal is far from done and I am sure we will hear more developments.