Private investigator Steve Whittamore's 'price list' revealed to Leveson Inquiry
18.05.12
Whittamore was asked to do an address search for Grant and Hurley in south
London and a vehicle registration mark (VRM) check relating to the Love
Actually star, the press standards inquiry heard.
Alec Owens, senior investigating officer for the Information Commissioner's
Office (ICO) from 1999 until 2005, recalled: "We went to see Mr Grant
at his offices because a VRM comes up against his name.
"As it turned out he couldn't recall this and possibly thought he may
have been in a friend's car or talking to somebody standing by that car."
Whittamore's Hampshire home was raided in March 2003 as part of a major ICO
investigation into the illegal purchase of confidential information called
Operation Motorman.
The private detective was convicted in 2005 of illegally accessing data and
passing it to journalists.
Robert Jay QC, counsel for the inquiry, said there was a "veritable
treasure trove" of information in Whittamore's colour-coded notebooks.
It created an "audit trail" showing which journalists and
newspapers had paid for specific types of information, Jay said.
Source: Telegraph.co.uk