Attempting to pervert the course of justice....

[Claretdave]

Is of course a very serious criminal offence. I know absolutely nothing as to the veracity of the myriad of allegations flying back and forth, but if has been suggested club A offers club B an inducement to drop an allegation of criminality, for example phone hacking, there should be alarm bells ringing.

Of course, all this is merely suggestion at present.

[hammers1954]

I think you have hit the nail on the head. Anyway just suppose West Ham had have caved in on this that mean that the individuals at West Ham and OPLC who their bank a/c and phone hacked into could also have taken action. This reason alone was enough for WHUFC to turn own the offer - the case would go ahead anyway

[WHURS]

Would there not also be the possibility of a blackmail investigation. Especially as now reported,they also made the same offer to a government dept

[beckton]

Nearly 24 hours have passed since West Ham' statement, does anyone else think it odd that the media haven't jumped all over a juicy story like this?

[ShortRound]

Nearly 24 hours have passed since West Ham' statement, does anyone else think it odd that the media haven't jumped all over a juicy story like this?

Yeah, was thinking the same thing. Funny how news against West Ham runs for at least a week, yet news for us and we don't even get a snippet.

[kenthammer]

Nearly 24 hours have passed since West Ham' statement, does anyone else think it odd that the media haven't jumped all over a juicy story like this?

if it was the other way round and we were the villains they would be all over it

[tommy iron]

According to this report the document in question has been handed to the Police:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/25082011/63/hammers-hand-document-police.html

West Ham have supplied police with a document that supports allegations Tottenham attempted to use the Olympic Stadium judicial review proceedings as a bargaining tool, Press Association Sport understands.
etc...
Tottenham refused to comment on the matter when contacted by Press Association Sport.

Also in the Standard
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/article-23981343-hammers-hand-document-to-police.do
(same report as the above I think)

[Hugh Jargon]

This would not match the criteria. Happened outside the courts...no judge or jury. Nice thought though cd!

[Iron-worx]

Nearly 24 hours have passed since West Ham' statement, does anyone else think it odd that the media haven't jumped all over a juicy story like this?

They just have, it's now in the Telegraph

[Iron-worx]

Keep digging filth, keep digging

Astonished that such a suggestion might be made in anything other than a private conversation.

[Hammer110]

Digging they seem to have a JCB!!

The Metropolitan Police is investigating allegations that private investigators working for Tottenham illegally obtained the telephone and other records of directors of West Ham and the Olympic Park Legacy Company.

West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady has told police she believes her phone was hacked.

West Ham said police contacted them after the club issued a statement claiming that Tottenham had offered to withdraw a legal challenge to the stadium decision if the Hammers dropped the criminal complaint.

West Ham said police have asked for the letter in which the alleged proposal was made. Scotland Yard said it would not comment on an ongoing investigation. Tottenham have also declined to comment on the allegations but privately reject the suggestion that they offered a deal to West Ham on the terms alleged.

Telegraph Sport understands that Tottenham are however seeking legal indemnity from future litigation and the current criminal complaints, as a condition of their negotiations with London Mayor Boris Johnson over building a new stadium in Haringey.

Sources close to the negotiations with the Mayor said that Tottenham’s request for indemnity was made earlier this week, shortly before the High Court hearing on Wednesday at which Spurs and Leyton Orient were given permission to challenge West Ham’s tenancy of the Olympic Stadium.

The terms of the request, which sources said include a request for indemnity from criminal charges, are said to have derailed negotiations with Johnson’s office.

The Mayor and Government believed a deal was close on Tuesday with Johnson offering £8 million of public money to improve infrastructure around White Hart Lane, but hopes of a swift conclusion have evaporated following the court ruling.

The Mayor will continue to try and persuade Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to commit to a new stadium in Haringey, a move that would remove the uncertainty over the Olympic Stadium.

[Hammers Dad]

I would have said extortion rather than perverting the course of justice or blackmail.

[Sweeney Bod]

I would have said extortion rather than perverting the course of justice or blackmail.

Shame there is no law against being low life, machiavellian, devious *****

[MADMOORE]

I dont' t see it like that at all.
Blackmail ? Extortion ?
IF this document exists.

Its an open offer to end two legal matters and brush it all under the carpet. Its not a THREAT and it would not have been worded as such, it would have been gone over with a fine toothed comb by top criminal lawyers.
W
Do you think its cut out newspaper letters saying "DROP FONE HACKING CASE AND WE WILL DROP JUDICIAL REVIEW IF YOU DONT YOU WILL GET IT BIG TIME SPUDS"

I think both clubs will be advised by Boris etc to end this asap, I think its in both clubs best interest to as well.

Best case scenario for West Ham, someone at Spurs (lets say Levy who is a mere employee) gets it in the neck and gets sacked and possibly spurs get fined chumps change (eg 1-2 million MAX) and Levy gets 6 months inside.

Worse case scenario for West Ham , Spurs win judicial review and Newham withdraw loan of 40m leading to any number of bad scenarios. No Os move, or move with limited funding setting the club back X years, or worse more lengthy legal battles dragging it on and on.

This debacle should have been ended on that offer which should have been excepted imo.

[hammers1954]

MADMOORE,

What gets forgotten in all of this is that, at least, two private individuals have allegedly had their bank accounts and phones hacked into and private information intercepted. That is NOT a matter that should be swept under the carpet. If they did West Ham would not be any better than News International and their involvement with the NOTW hacking scandal.

[IronworksDave]

MADMOORE,

What gets forgotten in all of this is that, at least, two private individuals have allegedly had their bank accounts and phones hacked into and private information intercepted. That is NOT a matter that should be swept under the carpet. If they did West Ham would not be any better than News International and their involvement with the NOTW hacking scandal.

You'd put the confidentiality of two people (who remember were having an illicit affair) above the future of West Ham? are u sure?

[eastsider]

It is not just them though is it? Karren Brady and OLPC members that are claiming hacking etc....

[beckton]

You'd put the confidentiality of two people (who remember were having an illicit affair) above the future of West Ham? are u sure?

What was illicit about it? Everyone seemed to know about it, at least their employers did as it was declared to them.

[bejeezus]

You'd put the confidentiality of two people (who remember were having an illicit affair) above the future of West Ham? are u sure?

'Are u sure' about your use of the word "illicit" - sorry but this all sounds pretty libelous to me! - you might like to think about editing your post?

I would also point of that stating that a couple in an openly 'long standing relationship' yet unmarried are in an 'illicit' relationship leaves you are in serious danger of being labelled a 'sanctimonious' tw*t!

[Iron-worx]

I dont' t see it like that at all.
Blackmail ? Extortion ?
IF this document exists.

Its an open offer to end two legal matters and brush it all under the carpet. Its not a THREAT and it would not have been worded as such, it would have been gone over with a fine toothed comb by top criminal lawyers.
W
Do you think its cut out newspaper letters saying "DROP FONE HACKING CASE AND WE WILL DROP JUDICIAL REVIEW IF YOU DONT YOU WILL GET IT BIG TIME SPUDS"

I think both clubs will be advised by Boris etc to end this asap, I think its in both clubs best interest to as well.

Best case scenario for West Ham, someone at Spurs (lets say Levy who is a mere employee) gets it in the neck and gets sacked and possibly spurs get fined chumps change (eg 1-2 million MAX) and Levy gets 6 months inside.

Worse case scenario for West Ham , Spurs win judicial review and Newham withdraw loan of 40m leading to any number of bad scenarios. No Os move, or move with limited funding setting the club back X years, or worse more lengthy legal battles dragging it on and on.

This debacle should have been ended on that offer which should have been excepted imo.

It's not blackmail, and it's not extortion, but it could well be perverting the course of justice depending on exactly what was in the document....

What its saying reduced to it's simplest form as reported is '...Drop criminal charges against us and we'll do you a favour'.

That isn't mutual back scratching as has been suggested, it's arranging to get away with a crime / crimes (if they have been committed which would need to be definitely ascertained) which is perverting the course of justice.

The thing is that both WHU and OPLC would need to withdraw their complaints to both the police and the information commissioner, and it would need to be decided that a public prosecution would be inappropriate for it to succeed.

That would seem like a long shot, but whatever the police now have the documents and will make their call on what the documents contain.

Bottom line is that if what has been reported is true then crimes have been committed and it is not possible in some convenient way to sweep that under the carpet.