Royal phone-tapping

Aug 9, 2006, 14:57 GMT

The British Royal Family is at the centre of a phone-tapping scandal.

Police investigating allegations that members of the royal household, including Prince Charles, his wife Camilla and son Prince William, may have had their phone calls intercepted arrested three men yesterday (08.08.06).

The inquiry was prompted several months ago following complaints by staff at Clarence House, Charles' official residence, who became concerned about royal security after a series of stories were leaked in the press.

Police have confirmed that one of the men arrested was the royal editor of Britain's News of the World newspaper, Clive Goodman.

Goodman and another unnamed 50-year-old man, thought also to be a News of the World employee, are still in custody and continue, at this time, to be questioned by police. One of the men has been released on bail.

All three were arrested under Section 1 of the Regulation of Investigator Powers Act, which states it is illegal to 'intercept, without lawful authority, a communication transmitted by means of a public or private postal or telecommunication system'.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of a two-year jail sentence.

A security source told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper: 'Detectives believe there has been a concerted and deliberate campaign to eavesdrop on high confidential phone messages at Buckingham Palace. The aim was to find out some of the most personal and potentially damaging details about royal life.'

The investigation is being overseen by the Metropolitan Police's anti-terrorism branch due to security implications.

This is not the first time the royal family has been the target of phone-tapping. In 1992, a conversation between the late Princess Diana and a mystery man, later identified as James Gilbey, was made pubic.

A year later, the transcript of a personal phone call between Charles and the then Camilla Parker Bowles was published.

Copyright 2006 BANG Media International