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Murdoch phone hacking scandal: 6 journalists will not face charges

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Six former journalists on Rupert Murdoch's now defunct British tabloid, the News of the World, will not face charges in connection with widespreadphone-hacking at the paper, prosecutors said on Wednesday. 

Earlier this month, Andy Coulson, the paper's former editor who later became Prime Minister David Cameron's media chief, was jailed for encouraging the hacking of voicemails on mobile phones in a bid to find exclusive stories.

Three other former senior journalists and a private detective who carried out extensive hacking on behalf of the paper also admitted their role in the activity.

However, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had decided not to press ahead with accusations against six other former members of staff.

"We have concluded that there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction," senior CPS lawyer Gregor McGill said in a statement.

He said the CPS had considered action against two of the individuals for data protection offences but had concluded in one case there was not enough evidence and, in the other, that prosecution would not be in the public interest.

London police launched a broad investigation into allegations of illegal behaviour at News International, the British newspaper arm of Murdoch's News Corporation, in January 2011.

Months later, revelations that staff on the paper had hacked into the voicemails of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler sparked widespread outrage and prompted Murdoch to close the 168-year-old tabloid.

It emerged that the newspaper had listened in to the messages of thousands of people, from movie stars to crime victims to government ministers, to obtain information for scoops.

The police inquiry ultimately led to an eight-month trial of Coulson and News International's former chief executive and one-time News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks. She was found not guilty of all charges.

Other journalists from Murdoch newspapers have already been charged with offences relating to illegal payments to public officials and are facing trial, while prosecutors are also considering criminal corporate charges against the firm.

The CPS said it was still deciding whether two other ex-News of the World staff should face hacking charges.

"Due to the ongoing review of evidence relating to the two remaining suspects in the case file, we are unable to provide further reasoning for our decisions at this stage," McGill said.

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