Menezes Family 'May Have Been Hacked' By Mulcaire

Menezes Family 'May Have Been Hacked' By Mulcaire

Relatives of Jean Charles de Menezes, the Brazilian man shot by police at Stockwell tube station in 2005, have learned that their phones may have been hacked by an investigator working for News International.

Police have already informed one relative, Menezes' cousin Alex Pereira, that his details have been found in documents belonging to Glenn Mulcaire, a private investigator who was employed by the News of the World.

The family told The Guardian that they approached police last week and were told yesterday to submit their details to check against Mulcaire's documents.

The Justice4Jean campaign has now written to the prime minister and asked him to inquire into whether officers involved in the Menezes case were leaking details to newspapers.

The letter, which was also sent to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Labour leader Ed Miliband and Keith Vaz, chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said:

"We would also like to draw your attention to another aspect of the investigation of our cousin's death, which we believe warrants further attention. In the Independent Police Complaints Commission's 'Stockwell 2' investigation, the practice of police 'off the record briefings' to the media was scrutinised and the IPCC found that Andy Hayman had deliberately 'misled the public' over claims that person who had been shot dead by the police on 22 July 2005 was one of the four men who were being sought in connection with the attempted bombings of the previous day.

Recent coverage of the police's role in investigating allegations of phone hacking, including Mr Hayman's evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, have highlighted his close relationship with News International, including potential financial links. We are conscious that the newspapers owned by News International provided some of the most virulent and often misleading coverage around Jean's death and its aftermath.

Throughout the investigation, misinformation continued to be leaked to the press that attempted to besmirch Jean's character. The publication of these lies about his actions on the day of the shooting included false allegations that Jean Charles was wearing a bulky jacket, had failed to stop after a police warning, had jumped the ticket barriers or had acted suspiciously in the moments leading up to his shooting. They also related to untrue allegations about his immigration status and even attempts to link him to a rape allegation that could only have emanated from police sources.

There was also a conscious attempt to smear the Justice4Jean campaign by attacking individuals involved in supporting the Menezes family. Considering what is now known about Andy Hayman's relationship with News International, we would like the inquiry into this scandal to extend its remit to scrutinise whether police officers involved in the Menezes investigation were leaking information to the press, either for financial benefit or in a vain effort to deflect criticism from the actions of the Metropolitan Police which had led to Jeans death."

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