人人自危 布萊爾捲入竊聽門醜聞

Former British prime minister Tony Blair offered to be an “unofficial adviser” to Rebekah Brooks, former chief executive of News International, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, and his son James at the height of the phone hacking scandal, a trial has heard.

倫敦庭審期間曝光的消息顯示，英國前首相托尼•布萊爾(Tony Blair，上圖右)曾在電話竊聽醜聞全面爆發之際自告奮勇，要當新聞國際(News International)原首席執行官麗貝卡•布魯克斯(Rebekah Brooks，上圖左)、傳媒大亨魯珀特•默多克(Rupert Murdoch)及其兒子詹姆斯(James)的“非正式顧問”。

According to an email from Ms Brooks to James Murdoch, then executive chairman of News International, Ms Brooks says she had spent an hour on the phone to Mr Blair. It adds: “He is available to you, KRM [Rupert Murdoch] and me as an unofficial adviser but needs to be between us.”

根據布魯克斯發給時任新聞國際執行董事長詹姆斯•默多克的一封電子郵件，布魯克斯表示，她與布萊爾在電話中談了一個小時。郵件還稱：“他可以爲你、KRM（魯珀特•默多克）和我當一個非正式顧問，但這件事只能我們知道。”

The email, which was read out to the court, also says that Mr Blair allegedly advised her to set up an independent unit to produce a “Hutton style” report into the hacking allegations – a reference to the inquiry into the death of UK weapons expert David Kelly in 2003.

在庭上宣讀的這封郵件還表示，布萊爾據稱建議她成立一個獨立小組，針對竊聽指控出爐一份“赫頓風格”的報告——指2003年針對英國武器專家戴維•凱利(David Kelly)死亡所展開的調查。

Ms Brooks sent the email on July 11, the same day that Labour leader Ed Miliband gave a televised press briefing denouncing the hacking scandal. The email was also sent a day after the News of the World published its final edition.

布魯克斯發出這封郵件的日期是7月11日，就在同一天，工黨領袖埃德•米利班德(Ed Miliband)舉行了電視新聞發佈會，譴責竊聽醜聞。發出這封郵件的一天前，《世界新聞報》(News of the World)出版了停刊前的最後一期。

Rupert Murdoch closed the Sunday tabloid, then part of his UK newspaper empire, after widespread public anger over the revelation that the mobile phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler had been hacked by the tabloid.

這份週日小報當時是默多克英國報業帝國的一部分。默多克關閉該報之前，該報竊聽慘遭殺害的女學生米莉•多樂(Milly Dowler)的手機的消息引發了普遍的公衆憤怒。

Prosecutors have claimed that Ms Brooks and six other defendants were part of an alleged conspiracy to intercept the voicemails of high-profile figures. All seven defendants deny all the charges against them.

檢方稱，布魯克斯和另外六名被告均參與了意在竊聽知名人士語音郵件的陰謀。七個被告均否認針對自己的全部刑事指控。

The case is one of the most high profile UK criminal prosecutions of recent times.

此案是英國近年最引人注目的刑事訴訟案之一。

According to Ms Brooks’ email, Mr Blair advised her to set up an “independent unit” with an outside counsel, Ken Macdonald, a former director of public prosecutions, “a great and good type, a serious forensic criminal barrister”.

根據布魯克斯的郵件，布萊爾建議她成立一個“獨立小組”，並聘請前刑事檢控專員肯•麥當勞(Ken Macdonald)擔任外部律師，稱他是“一個德高望重的人，嚴肅的刑事鑑識大律師”。

It adds: “Get them to investigate . . . and publish a Hutton style report”.

郵件繼續稱：“讓他們去調查……然後發表一份赫頓風格的報告”。

Mr Blair appointed Lord Hutton. His report cleared Mr Blair, then prime minister and the government of any responsibility for Mr Kelly’s death and allegations of misleading the country over the Iraq war.

當年布萊爾任命赫頓勳爵(Lord Hutton)領導調查工作。赫頓後來在報告中宣稱，時任英國首相的布萊爾及其政府對凱利之死沒有任何責任，有關布萊爾在發動伊拉克戰爭問題上誤導國家的指控也是沒有根據的。

According to the email, Mr Blair’s final advice to Ms Brooks was: “It will pass. Tough up. Keep strong and definitely sleeping pills.”

根據該郵件，布萊爾最後向布魯克斯提供的建議是：“這件事會過去的。堅強一些。要挺住，安眠藥絕對不能少。”

Ms Brooks begins her defence case today. The case continues.

布魯克斯今日開始爲自己辯護。此案仍在審理中。