The editor of the Daily Mail tabloid, sued by Prince Harry and several other celebrities, including Elton John, for illegal collection of information, denounced “unfounded” accusations on Thursday and defended the “responsible” work of his journalists.
Associated Newspapers (ANL) said it had submitted its defense arguments on Wednesday to the High Court in London, which is hearing this case, one of many brought by the Duke of Sussex against the British tabloids he hates.
Illicit methods
Prince Harry here accuses ANL of having resorted to illicit methods to obtain information, for example by hiring detectives, wiretapping or posing as another person to obtain medical information.
Most of the reported events date back to the period 1993-2011, some of them to 2018. The ANL “denied under oath that its journalists” could have had such practices and also considers the retraction of a private detective cited to be “very significant.” as a witness for Prince Harry.
The publisher “maintains its previous statements according to which the accusations are absurd and unfounded” and considers that “they are an affront to the serious work of journalists, whose reputation and integrity (…) are unfairly denounced.”
Sentenced last December
In his war against the tabloids, which the son of Charles III considers responsible for the death of his mother Diana in 1997, Prince Harry obtained the condemnation last December of the MGN, publisher of another tabloid, the Daily Mirror, for having resorted to illicit processes. to collect information.
In this case, he personally came from California, where he has lived since 2020 with his wife Meghan and their two children, to testify in court, something extremely rare for a member of the royal family.
The Duke of Sussex also brought similar proceedings against NGN, publisher of the tabloid The Sun, and the courts in April rejected an appeal by NGN that could have delayed the trial scheduled for next January. Once again, the newspaper denied the allegations.
Source: BFM TV
