MPs to unmask 'bluechip hackers'

By David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent

Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons' Home Affairs Select Committee, told the chiefs of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) that he would make the list public on Monday next week if they fail to issue it themselves. 

Mr Vaz was given the so-called “bluechip hacking” list in confidence by Soca earlier this year, but has now disclosed he will publish it after taking legal advice. 

The chairman told Trevor Pearce, Soca director general and Stephen Rimmer, the agency’s interim chairman: “We give you until Monday to publish this list. If you fail to publish it on Monday, we will publish it because we think it is in the public interest to do so. 

“We’ve taken legal advice and we believe it’s important that this should be done.” 

He added: “The committee has taken the view that this list should be published. We would like you to publish the list. We see nothing wrong with you publishing the list. 

“We know it has gone to the Met [Metropolitan Police) and we know they have removed the names that are subject to criminal investigation.” 

The list was originally drawn up during Soca’s Operation Millipede, which led to the conviction of four private detectives for fraud last year. 

A total of 22 law firms feature on the list, alongside several insurance companies, financial services groups and two celebrities, among others. 

The Information Commissioner’s Office yesterday announced its own investigation into nearly 100 clients of the private eyes. Nine names have been withheld by Soca at the request of the Metropolitan Police. 

Soca have had the information since 2009, but none of those who commissioned the alleged offences has been prosecuted or charged. 

Soca submitted its report on bluechip hacking to the Leveson Inquiry into Press standards in 2008, but was not highlighted by Lord Justice Leveson. The judge refused to admit the documentation, saying it was outside his narrow terms of reference.