London: A former security guard at media baron Rupert Murdoch's News International was on Wednesday charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice in the probe of phone hacking at the now-defunct News of the World.
The police said that Lee Sandell, 26, was charged in connection with Operation Weeting, which is investigating the hacking of telephone voicemail boxes.
Sandell is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court tomorrow.
Others charges under the investigation include former chief executive of News International Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charles.
The Police said in a statement: "Lee Sandell, Rebekah Brooks, Charles Brooks, Mark Hanna, Paul Edwards and Daryl Jorsling on a day between July 15, 2011, and July 19, 2011, conspired together, and with persons unknown, to do an act or series of acts which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice".
The statement said the accused wanted to "conceal documents, computers and other electronic devices, from officers of the MPS who were investigating allegations of phone hacking and corruption of public officials in relation to the News of the World and The Sun newspapers, contrary to Sec 1 (1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977".
PTI
First Published: Thursday, September 13, 2012, 00:06