Met police 'showed poor judgment' in hiring former News of the World deputy
Source: The Guardian
An independent report has criticised the Metropolitan police for "blurring" professional boundaries and showing "poor judgment" in hiring the former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis as a PR consultant.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) report criticised Scotland Yard's former head of press Dick Fedorcio personally for awarding a £1,000-a-day contract for advising the force to Wallis's company, Chamy Media.
The contract was given despite Wallis having served as deputy to Andy Coulson at a time when phone hacking is suspected to have been widespread at the now defunct tabloid.
Fedorcio, who was head of the Metropolitan police's powerful directorate of public affairs, was instrumental in awarding the contract, the IPCC found, a decision which it said damaged the force's integrity.
Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/apr/12/met-police-news-of-world