‘Fake Sheikh’ Mazher Mahmood charged with conspiracy
Mahmood, well known for disclosing wrongdoing amongst movie and TV stars, politicians as well as royalty, was suspended by Rupert Murdoch’s Sun newspaper in July following the fall of a star trial where he was a principal witness.
She’d denied being associated with the supply of drugs while he posed as a film producer to Mahmood, but her trial failed saying he supposed the reporter had lied to the court.
Smith was Mahmood’s motorist.
“I ‘ll vigorously fight it at court,” he said in a statement. “In the meantime I ‘ve nothing further to say.”
Mahmood formerly worked for Murdoch’s News of the World tabloid. The tabloid claimed that he’d brought over 250 offenders to justice besides being instrumental in the covert operation to trap the Pakistani threesome of Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamir.
The media mogul was compelled to close the tabloid when it had been revealed journalists had hacked voicemails including that belonging into a murdered schoolgirl, on mobile phones of a large number of men and women, to discover exclusive reports.
That resulted in the jailing of several senior staff in the newspaper including its former editor Andy Coulson.
Rebekah Brooks, who returned to run Murdoch’s British paper arm News UK after a four-year hiatus following the scandal that was hacking, was acquitted after having a high profile trial of participation.
Mahmood’s work was frequently mentioned by her as examples of great investigative journalism during her defence. For taking bribes to repair events in a match against England Mahmood carried out the inquiry which resulted in the 2011 conviction of three Pakistani cricketers.
In his well-known exclusive in 2001, he posed to dupe Sophie, Countess of Wessex, who’s married to Queen Elizabeth’s youngest son Prince Edward, into making indiscreet remarks about other members of senior politicians and the royal family.
News UK said it would expect the results of the criminal trial and noted the determination to prosecute Mahmood. “He stays frozen from The Sun,” a spokeswoman said.
