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Saturday, October 30, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Child online safety chief Jim Gamble to leave next month
One of the UK's most influential child online safety advocates, Jim Gamble, is to leave his role as chief executive next month, the Guardian has learnt - four months earlier than expected.
Head of the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, Gamble has been a controversial and combative figure, admired by activists but a source of frustration for those in the online industry.
Theresa May and Jim Gamble when she visited the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre in August. The two have fallen out over her plans to merge the centre into a National Crime Agency. Illustration: Adrian Brooks/Imagewise
"Industry representatives pointed out that they were not certain that the Ceop Centre appreciates the complexity of this environment... These differences of approach have been debated in the public arena which has contributed to a polarisation of positions between the Ceop Centre and some companies."
Head of the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, Gamble has been a controversial and combative figure, admired by activists but a source of frustration for those in the online industry.
Theresa May and Jim Gamble when she visited the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre in August. The two have fallen out over her plans to merge the centre into a National Crime Agency. Illustration: Adrian Brooks/Imagewise Ceop has already begun advertising for his replacement, who will undertake the position on a two-year secondment. Gamble reportedly stood down in protest at the Government's decision to merge Ceop into a new National Crime Agency, rather than granting it 'non-departmental public body' status, which would have given it more autonomy.
A review of Ceop by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in 2008, obtained by the Guardian, highlighted tensions between Ceop and particularly sectors of industry. "These tensions are openly acknowledged in the child protection community, whether it is by government departments, charities, academia or the industry itself. These tensions relate to issues of funding, report abuse button and conduct of the debate."
Though it concluded that there was no disagreement about the general need for reporting facilities, it hints at concerns raised by industry stakeholders about the lack of proper negotiation and collaboration. "Industry representatives pointed out that they were not certain that the Ceop Centre appreciates the complexity of this environment... These differences of approach have been debated in the public arena which has contributed to a polarisation of positions between the Ceop Centre and some companies."
Some in the industry have said they would welcome a chief with a more conciliatory approach after a very public spat with Facebook threatened to overshadow much more important priorities for child safety online.
John Carr, internet adviser to the Children's Charities Coalition on Internet Safety (Chis) said social networking will remain a priority for online safety campaigners, though he said he is waiting to see the Government's full proposals for the new structure of Ceop to better understand how the changes will affect the community.
"I'm waiting to see what the proposal is," he said. "But I do think that some of Jim's points about the special nature of Ceop, and how it will be difficult to preserve that in a closer, police arrangement, have some validity."
JUDAS JIM GAMBLE AND NAIVE JON CLEMENTS
Among the many interesting comments made by Jim Gamble, Britain's most senior child trafficking and abuse cop, about the disappearance of Madeleine was his theory about how whoever was involved would be regularly checking the internet to see if the net is closing in.Gamble believes the new viral advert will "rattle" the offender or offenders because "every time you search for updates about where the investigation is you will meet this prompt to your conscience".
His willingness to discuss the case was a welcome relief after two and half years of complete silence from Leicestershire police, the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Serious Organised Crime Agency.
Gamble was reluctant to offer his own theory of what happened in Praia da Luz saying it "didn't matter" if Madeleine was taken for trafficking, or sexual exploitation or by some "deluded soul" who wanted to raise their own child.Two words which did not pass his lips at any point, however, were "kidnap" and "abduct". Instead the case was strictly referred to as a "disappearance".
One thing Gamble did make clear, however, was his passionate belief that the advert would help find Madeleine and that it was still possible she remained alive.
"Statisticians do that most awful thing", he said. "They take away people's hope".
NOTE: he may just as well have added they also stop the British public paying into the fund.
Friday, October 22, 2010
FATALLY FLAWED
Published: 21 October, 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM
A CAMDEN Town businessman wrongly accused of downloading child pornography has spoken of his “14 months of hell” after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case two weeks before he was due to stand trial.
Chris Singam, 48, was arrested in July last year after police discovered 30 indecent images on two computers seized at his home and Kentish Town office.
Recorder Stephen Miller QC threw out the case, acquitting Mr Singam of all charges of making and possessing indecent images of children. He awarded Mr Singam costs of £180,000 after it emerged evidence put forward by the CPS was “flawed”.
A report written by computer expert Duncan Campbell shows a series of errors were made during the investigation. The report – seen by the New Journal – was ordered by Mr Singam’s defence team and describes how the computers were infected with a “malicious” virus that meant he could not have known indecent images of children were being sent to his computer.
The report states:
It has emerged that Mr Singam’s case was being prosecuted by the fraud branch of the CPS, the Fraud Prosecution Division, and not by mainstream prosecutors who usually work on criminal cases such as this.
In a statement following the decision at Southwark Crown Court last Friday, the CPS said: “In July 2010, the CPS was provided by Mr Singam’s legal team with a report from an expert that it was possible the websites carrying indecent images of children could have been accessed accidentally. Having considered that proposition and a further expert opinion on the matter, the CPS decided in September that there is no longer sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and duly offered no evidence in this case.”
The CPS admitted hiring a private computer expert only after seeing Mr Campbell’s report. It said police examination of the computer did not identify the malicious virus because it had been carried out by someone who “wasn’t a specialist in that field”. Mr Singam said police did not fully understand the two laptops had been linked to his office network, explaining why the virus was on both machines.
Mr Campbell appeared as an expert defence witness in the high-profile Operation Ore child pornography prosecutions in 2005, exposing how police errors and technical naivety led to hundreds of false arrests.
Talking about his ordeal for the first time, Mr Singam, a barrister who lived in Highgate at the time of his arrest, said: “It has been a living nightmare. I am elated with the decision. If this had got to trial it is such an emotive issue I wouldn’t have stood a chance.
“My life was in danger. I was called a paedophile and as far as everyone was concerned I was guilty. Nobody talked to me. My business suffered. If it wasn’t for my girlfriend I’d probably be dead.”
Mr Singam was running a property company which managed bars in Inverness Street, Camden Town, when he was arrested in July 2009 following an unconnected Scotland Yard investigation into alleged fraud, which was also dropped.
While examining computers – office laptops used by employees as well as by Mr Singam at home – officers from Scotland Yard’s Economic Crime Unit discovered indecent images.
He was remanded in Wandsworth Prison for a month before his lawyers were able to get him bail. Mr Singam said: “People wouldn’t look at me and nobody would talk to me. Twice I was attacked. Once someone threw chairs at me, and another time I was assaulted in the street. My car was vandalised.
“I lost my fortune. I came close to ending my life. The only thing that stopped me was that I knew I was innocent. I questioned myself in lots of ways, but I always stayed strong because of that.”
He has since “reassessed his priorities” and is now taking a Masters degree course in criminal law at Birkbeck College.
SOURCE: Camden New Journal
by JAMIE WELHAM
A CAMDEN Town businessman wrongly accused of downloading child pornography has spoken of his “14 months of hell” after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case two weeks before he was due to stand trial.
Chris Singam, 48, was arrested in July last year after police discovered 30 indecent images on two computers seized at his home and Kentish Town office.
Recorder Stephen Miller QC threw out the case, acquitting Mr Singam of all charges of making and possessing indecent images of children. He awarded Mr Singam costs of £180,000 after it emerged evidence put forward by the CPS was “flawed”.
A report written by computer expert Duncan Campbell shows a series of errors were made during the investigation. The report – seen by the New Journal – was ordered by Mr Singam’s defence team and describes how the computers were infected with a “malicious” virus that meant he could not have known indecent images of children were being sent to his computer.
The report states:
- There is no evidence to show user/s took the necessary steps of deliberate manual navigation to web pages containing offending material.
- The computers had hundreds of examples of malicious software, which could direct a user selecting advertising for legal material to visit potentially illegal sites.
- All charges relating to the second computer are fatally flawed.
- The prosecution computer expert used virus checker programmes but did not carry out tests for pop-ups, pop-unders (which can create concealed windows). This is a flawed approach.
- Only the deceptive status bar advertisement wording would be visible to the user. Unless the user had specialist knowledge or skills and carried out relevant tests, he would not be aware of the concealed redirection commands.
It has emerged that Mr Singam’s case was being prosecuted by the fraud branch of the CPS, the Fraud Prosecution Division, and not by mainstream prosecutors who usually work on criminal cases such as this.
In a statement following the decision at Southwark Crown Court last Friday, the CPS said: “In July 2010, the CPS was provided by Mr Singam’s legal team with a report from an expert that it was possible the websites carrying indecent images of children could have been accessed accidentally. Having considered that proposition and a further expert opinion on the matter, the CPS decided in September that there is no longer sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and duly offered no evidence in this case.”
The CPS admitted hiring a private computer expert only after seeing Mr Campbell’s report. It said police examination of the computer did not identify the malicious virus because it had been carried out by someone who “wasn’t a specialist in that field”. Mr Singam said police did not fully understand the two laptops had been linked to his office network, explaining why the virus was on both machines.
Mr Campbell appeared as an expert defence witness in the high-profile Operation Ore child pornography prosecutions in 2005, exposing how police errors and technical naivety led to hundreds of false arrests.
Talking about his ordeal for the first time, Mr Singam, a barrister who lived in Highgate at the time of his arrest, said: “It has been a living nightmare. I am elated with the decision. If this had got to trial it is such an emotive issue I wouldn’t have stood a chance.
“My life was in danger. I was called a paedophile and as far as everyone was concerned I was guilty. Nobody talked to me. My business suffered. If it wasn’t for my girlfriend I’d probably be dead.”
Mr Singam was running a property company which managed bars in Inverness Street, Camden Town, when he was arrested in July 2009 following an unconnected Scotland Yard investigation into alleged fraud, which was also dropped.
While examining computers – office laptops used by employees as well as by Mr Singam at home – officers from Scotland Yard’s Economic Crime Unit discovered indecent images.
He was remanded in Wandsworth Prison for a month before his lawyers were able to get him bail. Mr Singam said: “People wouldn’t look at me and nobody would talk to me. Twice I was attacked. Once someone threw chairs at me, and another time I was assaulted in the street. My car was vandalised.
“I lost my fortune. I came close to ending my life. The only thing that stopped me was that I knew I was innocent. I questioned myself in lots of ways, but I always stayed strong because of that.”
He has since “reassessed his priorities” and is now taking a Masters degree course in criminal law at Birkbeck College.
SOURCE: Camden New Journal
Thursday, October 21, 2010
'CYBERWAR' THREAT
The government recently announced a £500m funding boost for 'cyber defence'. My reaction was immediately cynical... the only significant 'cyberwar' threat we've seen to date was the recent Stuxnet virus (which was designed to attack industrial control software, and seemed to focus its efforts in Iran more than anywhere else, hence is suspected of being a deliberate attack of sorts). This one incident doesn't seem enough to justify a massive investment in boosting our defences against this mostly hypothetical attack vector, especially at a time when the country's finances are not in the best of shape.As Alex Deane from Big Brother Watch points out, this is a complete U-turn on this government's promises to 'reverse the rise of the surveillance state'.
I fully expect to read a statement from a government minister soon, explaining that the IMP is necessary to enable us to 'defend ourselves against cyber-warfare'. The threat of cyber-warfare will be added to paedophilia and terrorism as 'unarguable' excuses to be trotted out whenever the government needs to justify its latest intrusion into our personal lives, the latest violation of our right to privacy, the latest reversal of its promises to reinstate and defend our civil liberties.
http://policestate.co.uk/articles/89
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
UNITED KINGDOMS DARK CLOUD
Investigation Landslide
There are no two words in any culture’s vocabulary that send more shivers up the spine of a decent human being than "child pornography". For centuries it has been a dark reality in society that has been hidden in the seedy circles of pedophilia and has impacted the lives of millions of innocent victims. Until the invention of the Internet, commerce in the industry related to the trafficking of material related to child pornography was restricted to transports such as couriers and postal systems. Due to its nature, “the mail” made discovery of these perverted trade practices virtually undetectable. Enter the Internet.Many blame the Internet for fueling widespread growth in the legal industry of pornography and, subsequently, the highly illegal industry of child pornography. On a micro-timeline, this notion could be debated for years. However, over the past decade it is my argument that the Internet served as the catalyst that encouraged pedophiles to surface to levels of visibility that has allowed some of the most aggressive progress in law enforcement against this dark side of our world. It all started with Investigation Landslide and the massive dent it put in this illegal industry.
In April 1999, the United States Postal Inspection Service of Texas received an internal complaint via a postal inspector who, in turn, had received the tip from an acquaintance in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The tip provided information to a website alleged to be advertising child pornography. The tip, however, referenced a photograph that was not being hosted in the United States—it was being served from Indonesia. This presented a challenge as to whether US law enforcement could actually prosecute the offense.
The mere occurrence of a complaint sourced from Minnesota ending up in Dallas was the random result of a friendship between the tipster and a postal inspector. The fact that one year earlier the United States Department of Justice had awarded a grant to the Dallas Police Department to house an investigative unit under the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce Program was a fortunate coincidence. Being aware of the ICAS office within the Dallas Police Department, the original postal inspector presented his finding and asked the local ICAS director to confirm his notion that the Indonesian-hosted photograph could not be prosecuted under US Federal Law. This is where the story turns from coincidence to “meant to be”.
The Dallas Police Department had established an unofficial relationship with several volunteers who worked in the local offices of The Microsoft Corporation. Though the relationship was not officially sponsored by the software giant, who had their own legal problems with the US Department of Justice at the time, the notion of helping local communities was highly encouraged at all levels of the company. When contacted by the Dallas Police Department to confirm the physical location of the offensive photograph, the company responded by volunteering employees.
A software engineer from the company confirmed that the photograph was hosted via an Internet web server based in Indonesia. However, using a program called Web Buddy, the engineer uncovered a noticeable amount of traffic associated with the site hosting the photo that passed through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) based in Ft. Worth, Texas. The ISP was named Landslide Productions. After a lengthy investigation into the offending site, and the discovery of hundreds of other offenses, federal agents raided the Fort Worth-based Landslide Production on September 8, 1999.
As reported by British investigative reporter Duncan Campbell in his 2007 report entitled "Operation Ore Flawed by Fraud" , there was a set of complexities that were discovered in Thomas Reedy’s operation. A year earlier, Reedy claims to have discovered irregularly high volumes of stolen credit card transactions coming through his Keyz systems that were being processed by known webmasters and including Pakistani-based Imran Mirza and Brazilian hacker Antonio Francisco Tornisiello.
This posed multiple questions that had to be answered about Landslide’s payment operations. First, was Landslide in the business of selling child pornography subscribtions or was Thomas Reedy a victim himself?
Second, what percentage of the customers in Reedy’s system were simply purchasing legal pornography as opposed to illegal child pornography; and, how many were simply the owners of stolen credit cards?
The first and most important question was answered during a federal a raid of Thomas Reedy’s Fort Worth, TX home which uncovered revealed emails on his computer that proved he was both aware and supportive of his payment system being used for child pornography. Second, a personal collection of child pornography was recovered from his computer (story in People Magazine). Thomas Reedy is currently serving 180 years in sentences related to the sale, distribution, and possession of child pornography. His wife Janice Reedy received a 14-year sentence (court transcriptions). The subsequent and more critical questions for future prosecution of potential pedophiles found in the Landslide databases would take years to play out.
The United States Department of Justice launched an official effort known as Operation Avalanche which methodically approached the recovered database with procedure-based law enforcement operated under the assumptions of “innocence until proven guilty” and that every US citizen is afforded rights under the US Constitution. The result was a solid law enforcement effort that vigorously and justly prosecuted hundreds of pedophiles in the United States. Furthermore, the operation resulted in precedents being established in the US for digital child pornography prosecution. Finally, the Landslide investigation was used to train hundreds of police departments in both the US and Canada on the prosecution of digital child pornography.
Unlike the United States, the United Kingdom, armed with a copy of the Landslide payment database, initiated an aggressive initiative known as Operation Ore that failed to distinguish the victims of credit card theft and consumers of legal pornography from those knowlingly purchasing child pornography. As reported by Duncan Campbell in several articles, the result was one of the biggest disasters in UK crime enforcement history and resulted in wrongful arrests and the destruction of the lives of innocent people. Many articles have been written about Operation Ore that point the blame at the Landslide investigation claiming foul play on behalf of the Americans involved including the inappropriate engagement of private sector volunteers and perjury during court proceedings.
The investigation of Landslide Productions was the result of fortunate coincidence and the persistence of local and federal law enforcement officials. In the United States, its result took child predators off the street and established the precedents and practices that have allowed our legal system and private sector (e.g. Dateline series) to make enormous progress against a problem that has persisted in society for centuries.
The unfortunate actions of the United Kingdom have placed a dark cloud over the investigation into Landslide. Ironically, prosecutorial absence of due process was one of the inspirations that influenced our countries founders to break away from the UK in the first place. It is sad to think of the devastation the UK government’s actions had on innocent victims of credit card theft in that country. For the rest of us, it should be a lesson as to the dangers that lurk in the global Internet and the personal responsibility that we all have with regard to our personal information and the usage of financial instruments.
Derick Schaefer was an employee of the Microsoft Corporation and played a very minor role as a volunteer in the landslide investigation. As the founder of Orangecast, a Dallas, TX based Social Media marketing company, Mr. Schaefer is a regular contributor to Wikipedia, including the pages related to Operation Ore and Operation Avalanche. Mr. Schaefer has created a publicly available bookmark collection related to Operation Ore that can be found at http://del.icio.us/op_ore. His inspiration in writing this article was to present documented facts as to the accomplishments of the investigation of Landslide and Operation Avalanche that have been overshadowed by the flaws associated with Operation Ore..
Top cyber crime cop lied under oath, says judge
Scotland Yard skulduggery
Posted in Policing, 19th October 2010 11:45 GMT
Exclusive The head of the national police unit set up to tackle internet crime told lies under oath about her involvement in a plot to damage the career of a junior detective, a judge has said.
Detective Superintendent Charlie McMurdie, of the Met's high-profile Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU), falsely claimed that conversations she had with a whistleblower never took place, an employment tribunal heard.
"Miss McMurdie sat there and she told us lies," employment judge Sandra Pontac charged.
Charlie McMurdie"She told us that none of it happened."
The allegation, made by Pontac during a hearing last week to set damages, attended by The Register, leaves McMurdie open to potential prosecution for perjury, according to Ministry of Justice guidance.
The employment tribunal awarded Detective Sergeant Howard Shaw £37,000 damages and £1,000 costs after earlier finding McMurdie and a close colleague colluded to force him out of the PCeU.
Shaw, 47, an anti-fraud specialist who has been in the Met for 28 years, discovered in October 2008 that Detective Inspector Kevin Williams planned to cheat to obtain a coveted role in the newly-formed PCeU. Williams obtained the questions interview candidates were due to face in advance, and scored more than 90 per cent, compared to about 30 per cent for Detective Inspector Paul Amoo, a competing candidate.
Shaw reported the wrongdoing to McMurdie, a member of the selection panel, who took no action and instead appointed Williams to the new unit, where he would be Shaw's line manager. It emerged in evidence that after Amoo also learned and complained about Williams' cheating, McMurdie created another new role for him within the PCeU.
"It was clear to me that Detective Superintendent McMurdie had swept the misconduct and dishonesty under the carpet," Shaw told the tribunal.
Following the appointment, Shaw told McMurdie he intended to take the matter further in a "row" over the telephone. It was this discussion that McMurdie denied ever happened, prompting Pontac to repeatedly insist, in an argument with the Met's lawyer over whether the defence was reasonable, last week that McMurdie had "lied".
Those "lies" were crucial to the case, because the tribunal found the complaints Shaw made against Williams should have granted him legally-protected whistleblower status.
Instead, within a week, McMurdie and Williams, who shared an office, had rushed to instigate internal disciplinary proceedings against Shaw and to remove him from his new job. Their allegations surrounded an outside business interest for which Shaw had applied for approval more than 18 months previously.
"We found they acted on the basis of allegations which they knew or ought to have known were untrue," the tribunal found.
McMurdie and Williams told the tribunal they acted out of genuine suspicion about Shaw's commercial plans.
Prior to the investigation, Shaw had an "exemplary" record, and he has since been cleared of any conflict of interest by the Home Secretary. More likely than not, the tribunal found, McMurdie and Williams instigated the disciplinary process against him because he blew the whistle on Williams' cheating.
Nevertheless, the pressure of the investigation combined with the humiliation of being escorted from police premises by Williams, who then carried out an unwarranted search of his desk in front of colleagues, took a toll. Shaw suffered nightmares and was signed off work for 18 weeks with depression.
He is now serving in a unit dealing with extradition cases, where he expects to see out the remaining two years of his police service. McMurdie and Williams, meanwhile, have prospered.
McMurdie remains in place at the head of the PCeU and has not been disciplined for her actions. Under her management the unit enjoys the vocal support of Sir Paul Stephenson, the nation's most senior police officer.
Williams' career has not apparently suffered either. Last year he became the first Met officer seconded to GCHQ's new Cyber Security Operations Centre.
He was also recently appointed as staff officer to Assistant Commissioner Janet Williams, who oversees the PCeU and is one of the most powerful figures in the Met, despite his apparent dishonesty. The Met has applied its weakest sanction - "words of advice" - against him over the affair."Make no mistake," Shaw told the tribunal. "They have won and I have lost."
"I have had to spend thousands of pounds to try to clear my name and regain my status. Their careers will progress, mine is finished."
In response to questions about whether any action will be taken against McMurdie over false statements to the tribunal, a spokesman for the Met said "the officers are not under investigation".
"However, as with any tribunal, the Met will carefully review the findings to see if there is any wider learning for the future."
He added that it should not be assumed from that statement that no action will be taken against officers after the tribunal delivers its written remedies judgment.
A third senior officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Nigel Mawer, who was involved in setting up the PCeU, was also criticised in the judgment. He admitted adding a crucial undated note to the file on Shaw's business interests after the investigation had started, and that it could amount to "tampering with evidence".
Mawer, who retired last week and recently headed the investigation into allegations of spot-fixing against the Pakistani cricket team, was "surprisingly and exceptionally careless", the tribunal found. Its judgment stopped short of finding he committed any intentional wrongdoing.
Shaw's case also raises concerns about security standards at the PCeU, which handles material classified up to Top Secret. Mawer said it is "not an uncommon" practice for officers to take sensitive work home with them.
Concerns over separate failures by McMurdie to follow security procedures led a member of the Security Service to follow her home, the tribunal heard.
Shaw also told the tribunal he and another officer had complained to McMurdie over her appointment of a part-time volunteer outside the normal security vetting process. It later emerged that the volunteer had failed vetting for both the Met and Surrey Police, he said, because she lived with a former police constable who had been charged with importing Class A drugs.
Shaw had sought £2m in exceptional damages for his treatment at the hands of Mawer, McMurdie and Williams to "force the police to take disciplinary action against the wrong-doers". He planned to donate all the money to charity after paying his lawyer.
"I believe that a punitive award of less than £50,000 will not deter the Met in future from destroying the next whistleblower for whom justice, honesty, integrity and conscience still mean something," he told the tribunal.
The award of £38,000 does not cover his legal bill.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/10/19/pceu_tribunal/
Detective Superintendent Charlie McMurdie, of the Met's high-profile Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU), falsely claimed that conversations she had with a whistleblower never took place, an employment tribunal heard.
"Miss McMurdie sat there and she told us lies," employment judge Sandra Pontac charged.
Charlie McMurdieThe allegation, made by Pontac during a hearing last week to set damages, attended by The Register, leaves McMurdie open to potential prosecution for perjury, according to Ministry of Justice guidance.
The employment tribunal awarded Detective Sergeant Howard Shaw £37,000 damages and £1,000 costs after earlier finding McMurdie and a close colleague colluded to force him out of the PCeU.
Shaw, 47, an anti-fraud specialist who has been in the Met for 28 years, discovered in October 2008 that Detective Inspector Kevin Williams planned to cheat to obtain a coveted role in the newly-formed PCeU. Williams obtained the questions interview candidates were due to face in advance, and scored more than 90 per cent, compared to about 30 per cent for Detective Inspector Paul Amoo, a competing candidate.
Shaw reported the wrongdoing to McMurdie, a member of the selection panel, who took no action and instead appointed Williams to the new unit, where he would be Shaw's line manager. It emerged in evidence that after Amoo also learned and complained about Williams' cheating, McMurdie created another new role for him within the PCeU.
"It was clear to me that Detective Superintendent McMurdie had swept the misconduct and dishonesty under the carpet," Shaw told the tribunal.
Following the appointment, Shaw told McMurdie he intended to take the matter further in a "row" over the telephone. It was this discussion that McMurdie denied ever happened, prompting Pontac to repeatedly insist, in an argument with the Met's lawyer over whether the defence was reasonable, last week that McMurdie had "lied".
Those "lies" were crucial to the case, because the tribunal found the complaints Shaw made against Williams should have granted him legally-protected whistleblower status.
Instead, within a week, McMurdie and Williams, who shared an office, had rushed to instigate internal disciplinary proceedings against Shaw and to remove him from his new job. Their allegations surrounded an outside business interest for which Shaw had applied for approval more than 18 months previously.
"We found they acted on the basis of allegations which they knew or ought to have known were untrue," the tribunal found.
McMurdie and Williams told the tribunal they acted out of genuine suspicion about Shaw's commercial plans.
Prior to the investigation, Shaw had an "exemplary" record, and he has since been cleared of any conflict of interest by the Home Secretary. More likely than not, the tribunal found, McMurdie and Williams instigated the disciplinary process against him because he blew the whistle on Williams' cheating.
Nevertheless, the pressure of the investigation combined with the humiliation of being escorted from police premises by Williams, who then carried out an unwarranted search of his desk in front of colleagues, took a toll. Shaw suffered nightmares and was signed off work for 18 weeks with depression.
He is now serving in a unit dealing with extradition cases, where he expects to see out the remaining two years of his police service. McMurdie and Williams, meanwhile, have prospered.
McMurdie remains in place at the head of the PCeU and has not been disciplined for her actions. Under her management the unit enjoys the vocal support of Sir Paul Stephenson, the nation's most senior police officer.
Williams' career has not apparently suffered either. Last year he became the first Met officer seconded to GCHQ's new Cyber Security Operations Centre.
He was also recently appointed as staff officer to Assistant Commissioner Janet Williams, who oversees the PCeU and is one of the most powerful figures in the Met, despite his apparent dishonesty. The Met has applied its weakest sanction - "words of advice" - against him over the affair."Make no mistake," Shaw told the tribunal. "They have won and I have lost."
"I have had to spend thousands of pounds to try to clear my name and regain my status. Their careers will progress, mine is finished."
In response to questions about whether any action will be taken against McMurdie over false statements to the tribunal, a spokesman for the Met said "the officers are not under investigation".
"However, as with any tribunal, the Met will carefully review the findings to see if there is any wider learning for the future."
He added that it should not be assumed from that statement that no action will be taken against officers after the tribunal delivers its written remedies judgment.
A third senior officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Nigel Mawer, who was involved in setting up the PCeU, was also criticised in the judgment. He admitted adding a crucial undated note to the file on Shaw's business interests after the investigation had started, and that it could amount to "tampering with evidence".
Mawer, who retired last week and recently headed the investigation into allegations of spot-fixing against the Pakistani cricket team, was "surprisingly and exceptionally careless", the tribunal found. Its judgment stopped short of finding he committed any intentional wrongdoing.
Shaw's case also raises concerns about security standards at the PCeU, which handles material classified up to Top Secret. Mawer said it is "not an uncommon" practice for officers to take sensitive work home with them.
Concerns over separate failures by McMurdie to follow security procedures led a member of the Security Service to follow her home, the tribunal heard.
Shaw also told the tribunal he and another officer had complained to McMurdie over her appointment of a part-time volunteer outside the normal security vetting process. It later emerged that the volunteer had failed vetting for both the Met and Surrey Police, he said, because she lived with a former police constable who had been charged with importing Class A drugs.
Shaw had sought £2m in exceptional damages for his treatment at the hands of Mawer, McMurdie and Williams to "force the police to take disciplinary action against the wrong-doers". He planned to donate all the money to charity after paying his lawyer.
"I believe that a punitive award of less than £50,000 will not deter the Met in future from destroying the next whistleblower for whom justice, honesty, integrity and conscience still mean something," he told the tribunal.
The award of £38,000 does not cover his legal bill.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/10/19/pceu_tribunal/
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
NEWS SNIFFER : VERSION TEN ON GAMBLES RESIGNATION
http://www.newssniffer.co.uk/articles/364975/diff/0/1
This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-11472033
The article has changed 10 times.
The next check is due today, so there may well be an 11th version.
Sara Payne appears on the 4th version.
Sara Payne, whose eight-year-old daughter Sarah was murdered by paedophile Roy Whiting 10 years ago, said she was "disgusted" with the government for "betraying" Mr Gamble.
This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-11472033
The article has changed 10 times.
The next check is due today, so there may well be an 11th version.
Sara Payne appears on the 4th version.
Sara Payne, whose eight-year-old daughter Sarah was murdered by paedophile Roy Whiting 10 years ago, said she was "disgusted" with the government for "betraying" Mr Gamble.
| She said: "This is the worst possible news and a devastating blow for UK child protection. Jim Gamble changed the face of child protection for the better, forever." SHY KEENAN makes her debut on version six and was equally 'disgusted'
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Monday, October 18, 2010
TWENTY FOUR DAYS AND COUNTING......
Just twenty four days to go until the appeal will be heard on Operation Ore Thursday 11th and 12th November 2010. Jim Bates and a gentle reminder of whats in store.
Jim Bates says it could be the biggest police scandal this country has ever seen
Bates: "The evidence I have collected over the six years since I first became involved in Operation ORE is extremely sensitive and undoubtedly includes information that the police (particularly CEOP) would prefer not to see revealed. It is likely that this evidence will eventually lead to exposure of the biggest police scandal that this country has ever seen."
Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/10/ore_case/
Bates accuses porn cops of misleading public
Day of reckoning in Ore cases draws nearer
By John Ozimek
Posted in Policing, 10th June 2009 12:38 GMT
Live Event: TechNet Virtual Conference - 19th June 2009
Jim Bates, once recognised as one of the country’s leading computer forensic experts, has made the extraordinary claim that senior police officers in Avon & Somerset and in the Met’s Child Exploitation Online Protection Team (CEOP) have deliberately stirred up and misled public opinion, in an effort to distract attention from a scandal that could soon engulf them.
In a statement to the Reg Bates says that he is now going public unwillingly, but that the level of misinformation being fed to the national media by Avon & Somerset Chief Constable Colin Port is so significant that he has little option but to provide some balance.
Bates expresses the view that despite a long and distinguished career as a witness for the prosecution, his growing concerns over the quality of police forensics work eventually led to his exclusion from the inner circle. This was followed by "intimidation and bullying by the police and some of their misguided supporters", leading eventually to his conviction for perjury in respect of his academic qualifications.
The current controversy hinges on the status of hard copy images and hard drives seized by Avon and Somerset Police in September 2008: last month a court ruled that the seizure had been illegal, and that the material should be returned, in part to Jim Bates, in part to independent experts.
This was followed by some very high profile media comment by the Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset, to the effect that he would rather go to prison than hand the material over.
Bates now claims that he is "aware (and will prove) that those images had been "exhaustively" examined (unlawfully) by Avon and Somerset police in September 2008 and were identified as being within active and archived case".
Therefore, he goes on, Mr Port has either been "seriously misled by his own officers", or presented a misleading and "emotive story for public consumption".
Bates speculates that a number of elements are finally coming together. First, he observes that preliminary investigation of the drives relating to the case that sparked this train of events provided evidence that might have secured an acquittal: police actions (including their decision to apply for a warrant to a magistrate rather than a judge) disrupted his ability to present that evidence.
He also believes that these events finally link to fall-out from Operation Ore - perhaps the largest single operation by police against collectors of child porn in the UK - just as the likelihood of a class action against the police in respect of Ore cases nears the appeal courts. His view is that the investigation was hopelessly compromised by the presence of credit card fraud, and that a high proportion of the convictions were unduly influenced by a police tendency to interpret the evidence to fit their preconceptions.
"The biggest police scandal this country has ever seen"?
Bates told us:
The evidence I have collected over the six years since I first became involved in Operation ORE is extremely sensitive and undoubtedly includes information that the police (particularly CEOP) would prefer not to see revealed. It is likely that this evidence will eventually lead to exposure of the biggest police scandal that this country has ever seen.
Thus it appears that this may be a last ditch attempt by the police to cover up possible incompetence (or worse) by Avon and Somerset police and the shortcomings of Operation ORE. Colin Port may have been persuaded to make his stand on alleged child pornography to cloud the issues and retain the illegally obtained data.
I also feel that the recent support for [Colin Port’s] position offered by Jim Gamble of CEOP is extremely interesting given that Mr Gamble headed the Operation ORE enquiry and has more to lose than most when the appalling shambles is eventually exposed.
He concludes:
The relevant facts will be presented to Senior Judges at the High Court during the contempt proceedings scheduled for 16th June. Their decision is what counts, not the unsupported, misleading, inaccurate and emotive utterances of an embattled Senior Police officer.
The Register has asked the relevant police organisations for comment. Avon & Somerset have declined. A spokeswoman for CEOP stated that the allegations of credit card fraud were not new.
CEOP also provided the following statement:
Within the UK we put child welfare first. We are duty-bound to establish an investigation where there is an indication that children may have suffered abuse.
During the course of Operation Ore, more than 130 children have been safeguarded and over 2,500 perpetrators held to account. 700 people have been cautioned, meaning that they have accepted their guilt and are now on the sex offenders register.
Assessments came to the UK, cases were analysed and then passed to the local police force. Further assessments were then carried out as to the veracity of the information. Where there were reasonable grounds to suspect an individual, an independent assessment was carried out. Where there was evidence found to say that a person had visited an adult site no further action was taken.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
AMBER ALERT GPS or AMBER ALERT GP's?
Probably the most practical solution for parents
Utah-based Amber Alert GPS (read the full review) strikes an excellent balance between features and cost without sacrificing performance. Amber Alert GPS is a relatively inexpensive solution that can track indoors and out, has an SOS button to call for help, supports Geo-Fencing, and can send speed alerts (ie. send an alert if my kid is driving faster than 80 MPH) -- all for under $200. The monthly service costs between $19.99 to $49.99, depending on usage.
Amber Alert GPS uses the same high-performance GPS found in the much more expensive WorldTracker GPRS, and provided similarly excellent indoor tracking performance. Amber Alert GPS doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the more expensive devices, but it does provide parents with an easy way to quickly locate their child, indoors or out, without breaking the bank.
The SOS button is also a nice feature that lets kids send help messages to up to 5 people at once.
To get the most out of Amber Alert GPS you'll need an internet-enabled smartphone such as a Blackberry, iPhone, or Windows Mobile phone.
The Jim Gamble mantra, 'Think of the children'
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7241100.html
Is it ONLY a question of time ?
Utah-based Amber Alert GPS (read the full review) strikes an excellent balance between features and cost without sacrificing performance. Amber Alert GPS is a relatively inexpensive solution that can track indoors and out, has an SOS button to call for help, supports Geo-Fencing, and can send speed alerts (ie. send an alert if my kid is driving faster than 80 MPH) -- all for under $200. The monthly service costs between $19.99 to $49.99, depending on usage.
Amber Alert GPS uses the same high-performance GPS found in the much more expensive WorldTracker GPRS, and provided similarly excellent indoor tracking performance. Amber Alert GPS doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the more expensive devices, but it does provide parents with an easy way to quickly locate their child, indoors or out, without breaking the bank.
The SOS button is also a nice feature that lets kids send help messages to up to 5 people at once.
To get the most out of Amber Alert GPS you'll need an internet-enabled smartphone such as a Blackberry, iPhone, or Windows Mobile phone.
The Jim Gamble mantra, 'Think of the children'
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7241100.html
Is it ONLY a question of time ?
IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE......QUANGOS ARE NOT NEEDED
The pressure it seems has reached breaking point, the Goverment are correct in the burning of QUANGOS and look to new ways to protect our children. The article below proof there is something wrong and fresh eyes are needed to look for new ways to care for those who need it most, this means ALL children.
The up and coming Court hearing should also weigh heavy on Gambles mind, but does it ? the people whose lives Gamble has destroyed and forced at least 35 to take their own seems over the years to have not caused him loss of sleep. In fact he still believes he is right... Gamble comes across as a very unpleasant character who like Gerry McCann demands his own way . I have an idea for Dr.McCanns soul mate. Dr.McCanns boss and his brother John have both resigned from the Private Company.. No Stone Unturned.. this means there is now a position available. I am sure Dr.McCann would be delighted to welcome you on board Jimbo, with your contacts you could help fatten up the 'draining fast 'fund.
There is something very fishy going on with CEOP, Gamble and the McCanns...very fishy indeed.
Work pressures affect Social Workers’ ability to protect Children
A survey by the British Association of Social Workers last week revealed that a staggering amount of Front Line Social Workers feel that they have been unable to protect children in their care due to the pressure of work.
85% of Social Workers said that public criticism of their job had reduced the number of potential new recruits to the Social Work profession, and that this had lead to an increase in workload.
The Association of Directors of Children’s Services welcomed the report. A spokesperson said, “Child protection services risk being overwhelmed. Ministers must ring fence funding for early intervention projects.”
Jim Gamble seems to have more interest in the parents of Madeleine, showing more about one child above all others, this is not the head of CEOP's concern, he has become biased and lost his way. I have not seen Gamble parading other parents whose child has disappeared on television nor is he ever likely to..what makes the McCanns child so special ? CEOP is for Online paedophiles , Madeleine to my knowledge was not involved in Online chat and as her father has confirmed to the world ' There is no evidence Madeleine has come to any serious harm'
We have yet to also be enlightened as to why Madeleines father was invited to speak at a CEOP conference for sexually abused children by Jim Gamble, what experience does Dr.McCann have on this subject and why are other parents whose children have been approached by Online paedophiles not been asked to speak ?The up and coming Court hearing should also weigh heavy on Gambles mind, but does it ? the people whose lives Gamble has destroyed and forced at least 35 to take their own seems over the years to have not caused him loss of sleep. In fact he still believes he is right... Gamble comes across as a very unpleasant character who like Gerry McCann demands his own way . I have an idea for Dr.McCanns soul mate. Dr.McCanns boss and his brother John have both resigned from the Private Company.. No Stone Unturned.. this means there is now a position available. I am sure Dr.McCann would be delighted to welcome you on board Jimbo, with your contacts you could help fatten up the 'draining fast 'fund.
There is something very fishy going on with CEOP, Gamble and the McCanns...very fishy indeed.
Work pressures affect Social Workers’ ability to protect Children
A survey by the British Association of Social Workers last week revealed that a staggering amount of Front Line Social Workers feel that they have been unable to protect children in their care due to the pressure of work.1390 Social Workers were interviewed for the survey, and the results show that the constraints of Front Line Social Work have put a significant amount of pressure on staff. Of those surveyed 70% believed that they had been unable to protect a child due to the constraints of their job. 95% of respondents were of the opinion that children’s health and safety had been put at risk due to them being forced to make key decisions based on insufficient information.
Janet Foulds, a Front Line Social Worker for 36 years said; “I have felt overloaded and overburdened with concerns about the decisions I have to make in such an increasingly stressful, pressured environment… I try to cope with the workload by working late at night and over weekends but have felt at times that I have not been able to do the best job I can do.”
85% of Social Workers said that public criticism of their job had reduced the number of potential new recruits to the Social Work profession, and that this had lead to an increase in workload.
The Association of Directors of Children’s Services welcomed the report. A spokesperson said, “Child protection services risk being overwhelmed. Ministers must ring fence funding for early intervention projects.”
Friday, October 15, 2010
WHILE THE OREES WAITED..... GAMBLE FIDDLED
The court hearing for Operation Ore that should have taken place back in April , put on hold for the sake of the General Election. Meanwhile .....
.......while the rest of the countrys eyes were on the General Election, child protection officer Gamble completed an investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann for the Home Office. Gamble we are told has 'discovered' that the Portuguese Police did not look at all the evidence.
Jim Gamble for once speaks the truth, the Portuguese Police did not look at ALL the evidence that may have been vital to the investigation until six months later, a little matter of suggested paedophilia within the group known as the tapas. The reason , it was held back for six months by Leicestershire Police.
The News of the World, heavily assisted by Jim Gamble , had turned a Crime Scene into entertainment to gain a few more votes by using the very short life of Madeleine McCann .
The News of the World, heavily assisted by Jim Gamble , had turned a Crime Scene into entertainment to gain a few more votes by using the very short life of Madeleine McCann .
(J.K.Rowling will never be forgiven for the amount of money she poured into the Brown campaign to keep her friend in power. )
Speaking of a few quid , it will now cost you two to read about this scoundrel .
GAMBLE ATTENDS 'LEAVE ME ALONE' CONFERENCE
Jim Gamble is today, Thursday 14th October attending the 'Leave me Alone' conference at the Village Hotel in Bury. I see no rush in reporting this event. I wonder if he has a BBC reporter on board to show how life really is impossible without his ramblings and that no child will ever be safe again...
http://news.bury.gov.uk/PressRelease.htm?PressReleaseId=11614cb6-e67a-4a90-a559-0ef30a06229b
Yesterday Bury expected Mr.Jim Gamble to keep his appointment, with still four months at the helm I see no reason why he would not attend today....waiting for the 6 O'Clock news from the BBC.
OREES DO NOT TRUST ANY JOURNALIST LEAST OF ALL THE BBC
It has come to my attention that a BBC Researcher has appraoched someone wanting to do a piece on the up and coming ORE hearing. It is well known no publicity with journalists until after the appeal has taken place. I am not an OREE and cannot begin to imagine what they have gone through thanks to the likes of BBC's biased reporting and their support for Jim Gamble and his witch hunt. BUT as an outsider I say do not even think about trusting this woman and say NO to all requests no matter how much they butter you up. A crime has been commited and there will be time enough to report when the GUILTY ones are finally brought to JUSTICE:Remember BBC's sloppy reporter Mike O' Sulivan when he got it wrong about Goncalo Amaral...many still waiting for an apology. It will be a cold day in hell when the arrogance of this organization admits they were wrong.
THINK OF THE CHILDREN...GAMBLE MANTRA
CEOPS MESSAGE OF SORROW
Madeleine McCann now the ICON of CEOP one must ask ourselves why...Madeleine was not a victim of ONLINE paedophile abuse, or any abuse at all for that matter...her father says so...no evidence that she has come to any harm.
Jim Gamble
Many of our supporters and partners have approached us over the news that Jim Gamble has offered his resignation to the Home Secretary. We totally share your views about this sad news and thank you for your support. Jim above everyone else though would like to reassure all our friends, partners and supporters that business continues as usual for the CEOP Centre and that we will continue to do all we can to put the interests of children first.
About CEOP
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre delivers a multi-agency service dedicated to tackling the exploitation of children. That means building intelligence around the risks, tracking and bringing offenders to account either directly or with local and international police forces and working with children and parents to deliver our unique ThinkuKnow internet safety programme. Our approach is truly holistic, our style is totally inclusive and our appeal is to everyone out there to work with us in making every child matter, everywhere. More informationhttp://wn.com/Jim_Gamble
Interviews with Gamble
ED BALLS DEFENDER OF QUANGO HEAD JIMBO AND THE LYING DOCTOR
Ed Balls it seems gave a character witness to a Doctor who told one lie after another. I fail therefore to see Balls having any good judgement in who should be heading CEOP. Gamble lied under Oath and was the reference of the good doctor a favour for taking Balls blood pressure at a photo shoot.? Wheels within wheels again it would seem.
A GP has been jailed for eight months for concocting a ‘tangled web’ of lies to cover up his blunder in failing to visit a sick patient.
Dr Puthyadthu Kartha Venugopal forged documents and falsified paperwork after the patient sued him and he realised he could face financial ruin because he was not insured.
The family doctor had insisted he visited Janet Moore at home as requested following a hospital operation, but was found to be lying.
His failure to visit the grandmother, who is now dead, led to a delay in detecting an abscess which, in turn, meant she developed a ‘significant disability’
Had Dr Venu – as he was known – made the home visit the problem could have been treated successfully.
Mrs Moore, of Normanton, West Yorkshire, began legal action in 2004 and the GP maintained his false story for another four years until the judge dealing with the civil compensation claim ruled he was lying.
Jonathan Sharp, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court earlier this week the police then became involved and Dr Venu was arrested.
Venugopal, 61, of Wakefield – who received a character reference from local Labour MP Ed Balls – admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Passing sentence the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC, said he accepted the doctor had been a well-respected medical practitioner but his was a serious and prolonged attempt to avoid losing a civil case.
The court heard the professional indemnity insurance for Venugopal’s practice had ‘lapsed’ the year before the home visit incident in December 2001.
This made the subsequent legal action far more serious because there was no insurer to pick up the bill.
Quoting Sir Walter Scott, the judge said: ‘Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive. One lie had to be followed by another, one false document required further false documents in a hopeless attempt to give credibility to your account.’
He accepted medical evidence showed that Venugopal had been suffering from depression and stress but said he must be jailed.
Mr Sharp said Mrs Moore was admitted to hospital in August 2001 for a partial colectomy. She developed complications and was eventually discharged in a frail state on December 4, 2001.
A deputising service visited her two days later and recommended a GP visit her the next day. This didn’t happen and she was readmitted to hospital on December 12 having developed an epidural abscess, a rare infection and inflammation of the area around the spinal cord.
It is a potentially life-threatening disease that if left untreated can lead to paralysis.
If Mrs Moore had been admitted on December 7 Mr Sharp said the abscess would, ‘on the balance of probabilities, have been detected and treated’.
When Venugopal realised he wasn’t insured he began to ‘apply himself to creating a paper trail’ to show he had visited Mrs Moore on December 7, 10 and 12, the court heard.
He even removed sheets of paper from the practice’s daily visit record and typed out new ones. But he was caught out when the torn originals were found by a receptionist and handed to the practice manager.
He also forged a supposed referral letter to Pinderfields Hospital and pretended he had mistakenly recorded a visit to Mrs Moore, who died in 2008, in another J. Moore’s records.
Andrew Haslam, defending, gave the judge references from patients and a letter from Shadow Home Secretary Ed Balls, indicating the doctor’s good work.
He also produced a receipt for the Glory of India award, given to distinguished ex-patriates, for the doctor’s services to health in the area.
A GP has been jailed for eight months for concocting a ‘tangled web’ of lies to cover up his blunder in failing to visit a sick patient.
Dr Puthyadthu Kartha Venugopal forged documents and falsified paperwork after the patient sued him and he realised he could face financial ruin because he was not insured.
The family doctor had insisted he visited Janet Moore at home as requested following a hospital operation, but was found to be lying.
Jailed for eight months: Dr Puthyadthu Venugopal, pictured with MP Ed Balls, who provided a character reference for him during his trial
Had Dr Venu – as he was known – made the home visit the problem could have been treated successfully.
Mrs Moore, of Normanton, West Yorkshire, began legal action in 2004 and the GP maintained his false story for another four years until the judge dealing with the civil compensation claim ruled he was lying.
Jonathan Sharp, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court earlier this week the police then became involved and Dr Venu was arrested.
Venugopal, 61, of Wakefield – who received a character reference from local Labour MP Ed Balls – admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Passing sentence the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC, said he accepted the doctor had been a well-respected medical practitioner but his was a serious and prolonged attempt to avoid losing a civil case.
The court heard the professional indemnity insurance for Venugopal’s practice had ‘lapsed’ the year before the home visit incident in December 2001.
This made the subsequent legal action far more serious because there was no insurer to pick up the bill.
Quoting Sir Walter Scott, the judge said: ‘Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive. One lie had to be followed by another, one false document required further false documents in a hopeless attempt to give credibility to your account.’
He accepted medical evidence showed that Venugopal had been suffering from depression and stress but said he must be jailed.
Mr Sharp said Mrs Moore was admitted to hospital in August 2001 for a partial colectomy. She developed complications and was eventually discharged in a frail state on December 4, 2001.
A deputising service visited her two days later and recommended a GP visit her the next day. This didn’t happen and she was readmitted to hospital on December 12 having developed an epidural abscess, a rare infection and inflammation of the area around the spinal cord.
It is a potentially life-threatening disease that if left untreated can lead to paralysis.
If Mrs Moore had been admitted on December 7 Mr Sharp said the abscess would, ‘on the balance of probabilities, have been detected and treated’.
When Venugopal realised he wasn’t insured he began to ‘apply himself to creating a paper trail’ to show he had visited Mrs Moore on December 7, 10 and 12, the court heard.
He even removed sheets of paper from the practice’s daily visit record and typed out new ones. But he was caught out when the torn originals were found by a receptionist and handed to the practice manager.
He also forged a supposed referral letter to Pinderfields Hospital and pretended he had mistakenly recorded a visit to Mrs Moore, who died in 2008, in another J. Moore’s records.
Andrew Haslam, defending, gave the judge references from patients and a letter from Shadow Home Secretary Ed Balls, indicating the doctor’s good work.
He also produced a receipt for the Glory of India award, given to distinguished ex-patriates, for the doctor’s services to health in the area.
ED BALLS...ONE MUST THINK AGAIN
Home Secretary must think again on child protection centre
Responding to evidence given today by Jim Gamble, chief executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, the shadow home secretary Ed Balls said:“I know from the work I did with Jim Gamble and CEOP as Children’s Secretary that his expertise will be badly missed.
“And I share the serious concerns of experts and campaigners like Sara Payne that losing a pro-active and dedicated centre will undermine our ability to tackle the exploitation and abuse of children.
“CEOP is more than just a quango, as the Home Secretary dismissively called it last week. It should have the operational independence it needs to do the job and not be subsumed into the new National Crime Agency.
THESE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THE UP AND COMING COURT CASE NOVEMBER 11TH AND 12th....PLUS THE OBVIOUS FACT MCCANNS AND GAMBLE ARE JOINED AT THE HIP.
JOHN STALKER...WHAT DOES HE KNOW ?
John Stalker does he know the big secret ? Jim Gamble and his roots.....
So much happening around the time of the alleged abduction of Madeleine, this from July 25th 2007 and the strong connection with much support the McCanns have to this day from Ireland.
This is the reality that underlies the BBC's recent attempts to find out how much British police forces are paying to informers, amid mounting concern that the system is open to abuse.
The PSNI was one of the seven forces which refused the BBC's request, and the recent history of Northern Ireland provides perhaps the best illustration of the range of issues that can arise from the use of informers.
John Stalker became concerned about the RUC's use of human sources during his abortive Shoot to Kill investigation in the early 1980s. His findings have never been published although it appears the case may be reinvestigated by the Policing Ombudsman.
In 1989, Pat Finucane was shot dead by informer Ken Barrett, using a weapon supplied by informer William Stobie, and relying on targetting information supplied by a third informer, Brian Nelson.
Most recently, the Policing Ombudsman's investigation Operation Ballast found that between 1991 and 2003, UVF informers in one area of Belfast were responsible for ten murders and 72 other crimes. The ombudsman estimated that payments of almost £80,000 were made to the key figure in this group, Mark Haddock.
Raymond McCord Snr, whose complaint about his son's murder prompted the investigation, claims that the head of the UVF is an informer. Certainly, the sheer extent of the British state's infiltration of loyalism begs a lot of questions about the nature of the relationship.
Issues around informers are not confined to Northern Ireland though, as some of the BBC's examples make clear:
No doubt, human intelligence is an inevitable part of law enforcement, and the identities of informers have to be protected. However, many of the techniques involved are as old as the hills and well-known to the players involved. There has got to be more room for scrutiny.
Useful measures might include:
- Releasing the details of the total amount of payments made to informers.
- Allowing phonetap evidence to be used in court. To serve the interests of justice, this would have to include the disclosure of evidence that might be helpful to the defence.
- Opening up MI5 files to the scrutiny of figures such as the North's Policing Ombudsman.
http://documentostics.com/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_view/gid,779/
John Stalker 'Shoot to kill'
In 1989, Pat Finucane was shot dead by informer Ken Barrett, using a weapon supplied by informer William Stobie, and relying on targetting information supplied by a third informer, Brian Nelson.
Other notorious killers suspected of being informers include the UDA's Torrens Knight and John White, the UVF's Robin Jackson, and the IRA's Freddie Scappaticci. It has been alleged that the security forces used loyalist informers to protect Scappaticci by steering them towards Francisco Notorantonio as an alternative target.
Most recently, the Policing Ombudsman's investigation Operation Ballast found that between 1991 and 2003, UVF informers in one area of Belfast were responsible for ten murders and 72 other crimes. The ombudsman estimated that payments of almost £80,000 were made to the key figure in this group, Mark Haddock.
Raymond McCord Snr, whose complaint about his son's murder prompted the investigation, claims that the head of the UVF is an informer. Certainly, the sheer extent of the British state's infiltration of loyalism begs a lot of questions about the nature of the relationship.
Stephen 'Boom Boom' McColl - committed two murders while in the pay of Greater Manchester Police
Kenneth Regan - former police informer who was jailed for life in 2005 for murdering a couple and their two young sons
John Berry - Manchester police officers entertained him at pubs as he waited to give evidence in a murder trial which later collapsed (BBC)
There have long been rumours that some of Britain's leading crime families have had official protection. The Andreas Antioniades case would appear to support this:
Some of Britain's leading heroin smuggling suspects were protected from police investigations because they were working as informers for Customs, the BBC has been told.A similar pattern is apparent in the War on Terror:
In one case in 2001, Foreign Office diplomats moved to secure the release of an informer held in Germany on a warrant from the Greek authorities. (BBC)
ONE of al-Qaeda’s most dangerous figures has been revealed as a double agent working for MI5, raising criticism from European governments, which repeatedly called for his arrest.Britain ignored warnings — which began before the September 11 attacks — from half a dozen friendly governments about Abu Qatada’s links with terrorist groups and refused to arrest him. Intelligence chiefs hid from European allies their intention to use the cleric as a key informer against Islamic militants in Britain. (The Times)
The traditional justification for the use of informers is to use the small fish to reel in the big ones, but in many of the above instances it looks as if it has become a way for the big fish to protect their position.
This situation provides a credible basis for every kind of conspiracy theory, from Conrad-style agent provocateurs to 'offensive counterintelligence' operations in which the agent-running organisation is manipulated by its targets.No doubt, human intelligence is an inevitable part of law enforcement, and the identities of informers have to be protected. However, many of the techniques involved are as old as the hills and well-known to the players involved. There has got to be more room for scrutiny.
Useful measures might include:
- Releasing the details of the total amount of payments made to informers.
- Allowing phonetap evidence to be used in court. To serve the interests of justice, this would have to include the disclosure of evidence that might be helpful to the defence.
- Opening up MI5 files to the scrutiny of figures such as the North's Policing Ombudsman.
http://documentostics.com/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_view/gid,779/
May 29th 1986...Colin Sampson was asked to replace Mr.Stalker and investigate allegations of impropriety against him.
FALSELY ACCUSED ARTICLE MAY 10th 2007
More than 7,000 - including rock star Pete Townshend - were said to have downloaded child-porn images from a U.S. website.
But an investigation has found that many of those charged as part of the police inquiry codenamed Operation Ore were innocent and their card details had been used illegally.
Simon Bunce, who was accused of using the Texas-based Landslide website, said he was certain his personal information had been used fraudulently. Police found no evidence on his computer but his credit card details were found on the site.
"Thirty-nine people committed suicide after being accused of what I was accused of," he said. "I reacted in a different way. I investigated it diligently and I established I was the victim of credit card fraud."
The case against Mr Bunce was dropped after six months.
In another case, a father and son were investigated for a year. Nothing was found on their computer but their card details had been used. They recently found out they would not be prosecuted.
"Police just didn't look far and didn't understand the evidence of wholesale card fraud," he said.
"As a result hundreds, possibly even thousands, of people have been put through a terrible mill with threats of prosecution for child pornography and all the rest of it when in fact they had nothing to do with child pornography."
Police admit some of the 7,200 on a list supplied to them by U.S. officials were victims of card fraud but say they were not prosecuted and that they do not believe fraud was rife on the website. So far, 2,300 people have been found guilty of offences.
Jim Gamble, former head of the National Crime Squad who is now head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, said: "Over 90 per cent of those involved pleaded guilty. That's not about credit card fraud.
"That's people who have had the allegation levelled against them. The evidence has been collected. And they at court have said, 'I'm guilty of this offence'."
Those held in Operation Ore, which was launched in 2002 and cost £10 million, included Pete Townshend of The Who, Ronnie Barker's son Adam and numerous police officers.
Townshend denied that he was a paedophile, claiming he only accessed a site as research for an anti-child pornography campaign and for his autobiography.
Adam Barker went on the run and has never been traced. At least 38 suspects are known to have committed suicide. Of these, 34 had illegal images on their computers.
Reader views (8)
When faced with publically going to court where even your lawyer says you're doomed vs accepting a caution in private and being placed on the sex offender registry for a few years, it's not surprising that people took the caution.
- Pete, London, England, 07/10/2009 18:19
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- Pete, London, England, 07/10/2009 18:19
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What are we collectively going to do about this? Collectively we have a voice of opinion, independently we are nothing, please remember that.
Jim Gamble, former head of the National Crime Squad who is now head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, said: "Over 90 per cent of those involved pleaded guilty. That's not about credit card fraud.
"That's people who have had the allegation levelled against them. The evidence has been collected. And they at court have said, 'I'm guilty of this offence'."
At least 38 suspects are known to have committed suicide. Of these, 34 had illegal images on their computers. What about the other 4?
If your cleared you should be publicly cleared, or as public that the victim in this, the accused, wishes it to be. But are we really cleared?
No, the mere mention of child abuse investigation forces the world to say no to you, without a court of law telling them thats what they should do.
And that is wrong. what do you think?
"That's people who have had the allegation levelled against them. The evidence has been collected. And they at court have said, 'I'm guilty of this offence'."
That means that 10% are totally innocent, what does Mr Gamble have to say about those people? Not a lot from my point of view. BTW my name is Edward Judge from Liverpool. oh and there is more......
At least 38 suspects are known to have committed suicide. Of these, 34 had illegal images on their computers. What about the other 4?
If your cleared you should be publicly cleared, or as public that the victim in this, the accused, wishes it to be. But are we really cleared?
And that is wrong. what do you think?
- Edward Judge, Liverpool, 07/10/2009 18:19
Report abuse Child pornography is a fraud device, particularly on the AVS circuit. As a consequence of what has been done, the value of such material in such circumstances has increased, and there has already been a high value extortion attempt in London.
Credit card records were obtained in advance, such information going into the intelligence packs that were distributed to local forces. Further, terrorist legislation was invoked to obtain tax records.
Peter Sommer worked with the police and was exposed to the levels of reported fraud that were known from the outset. He released the headline figure at a conference.
In relation to the statements made by Jim Gamble, the IPCC upheld complaints for a criminal investigation back in 2005 and such matters have yet to conclude.
- Dave, France, 07/10/2009 18:19
Report abuse The moral is surely to carefully check your credit-card statements and immediately challenge anything that you don't recognise. It's mildly embarassing if it turns out to have been something you did buy and then forgot, but the alternative, of being branded a criminal and pervert at a later date, is far worse.
- Nigel, London, 07/10/2009 18:19
Report abuse The problem with even being accused of something like this, is, that the arrest and reasons for it go on your enhanced CRB check. My life, my career and my health have suffered because of this, having been sacked from a job purely because the police noted that I was arrested under suspicion, the charges were dropped due to "insufficient evidence." In this country, you're guilty just by being accused of something - only a short step away from thought crime. Sadly this broke my marriage up, due to the stress and depression I am suffering with. I live on medication all my life just so I can face going out the door. This is justice?
- Richard,, Wakefield, 07/10/2009 18:19
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Small errors? Peter Sommer clearly has no clue as to how incredibly damaging the allegations of child pornography are in the UK these days. I would suggest that perhaps he needs to take his job and its consequences more seriously.
- Mike, London, England, 07/10/2009 18:19
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Re: Nigel's comment
Even if you reported the transactions the police still stomped on you. Clearly you were trying to confuse any subsequent investigation! It also doesn't help that the Police don't check your credit card statements until after they arrest you - and then only if you complain! By that time the damage is done.
- Pete, London, England, 07/10/2009 18:19
Even if you reported the transactions the police still stomped on you. Clearly you were trying to confuse any subsequent investigation! It also doesn't help that the Police don't check your credit card statements until after they arrest you - and then only if you complain! By that time the damage is done.
- Pete, London, England, 07/10/2009 18:19
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- Thomas Elias Weatherly, Huntsville, Alabama, USA, 07/10/2009 19:19
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