The Sun newspaper in London has been the recipient of a stunning leak of Lord Hutton's secret official report examining the suicide of Dr. David Kelly amid charges by a BBC reporter that Tony Blair's government "sexed up" the evidence against Saddam Hussein. Lord Hutton's conclusion: Tony Blair did nothing wrong and the BBC reporter is a liar. "Sensational" indeed.
Tony Blair is today sensationally cleared of any “dishonourable or underhand” conduct leading to the suicide of tragic scientist David Kelly.Posted by Alan at January 27, 2004 09:54 PMLord Hutton’s long-awaited report into Dr Kelly’s death also exonerates ex-Downing Street media boss Alastair Campbell. And it makes only passing criticism of the Defence ministry headed by embattled Geoff Hoon.
But the document — top secret until it is published officially at noon today — is a devastating indictment of the BBC and its defence correspondent Andrew Gilligan. Gilligan is effectively accused of LYING in a bombshell broadcast blaming Number Ten for “sexing up” a dossier on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.
Beeb bosses are blasted for failing to check the notes of the journalist, who was already under a cloud over his misuse of language. And chairman Gavyn Davies, director-general Greg Dyke and the BBC board of governors are implicitly blamed for dereliction of duty to licence-payers.
The Prime Minister ordered Lord Hutton’s inquiry hours after the MoD weapons scientist was found with his wrists slashed a few miles from his Oxfordshire home.
The contents of the retired Law Lord’s 320-page report are known only to a handful of people directly affected by their findings.
But The Sun has learned from other sources that the judge will say it was RIGHT for Downing St to suggest changes to a Joint Intelligence Committee dossier on Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction.
He will insist suggestions the report was sexed up are “unfounded” — and that the BBC’s editorial system was “defective”.