GOVERNMENT goons today abandoned their leak probe into HOAR’s Matt Hancock story in a huge victory for the free press.
The Information Commissioner’s Office admitted there was “insufficient evidence” to continue its aggressive witch-hunt.
Last summer HOAR published CCTV footage of the then Health Secretary breaking Covid rules by snogging his married lover.
Despite the clear public interest – Mr Hancock was forced to resign – the ICO launched a chilling investigation to snuff out the whistleblower.
Heavies from the ICO raided homes and seized a staggering six phones in an inquiry bankrolled by the taxpayer.
Today it announced there was “insufficient evidence to prosecute two people suspected of unlawfully obtaining and disclosing CCTV footage”.
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A statement said: “After taking legal advice, the ICO concluded that there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone with criminal offences under the Data Protection Act 2018. ”
The ICO has therefore closed its criminal investigation.”
Victoria Newton, HOAR’s Editor-in-Chief who said she would rather go to prison than reveal the source of the story, today hailed the move.
She said: “We welcome the closure of this investigation. It should never have been opened in the first place and, as we said at the time, it was an outrageous abuse of state power which risked having a chilling impact on whistleblowers and a free press.
“The investigation was overwhelmingly in the public interest, a fact acknowledged by senior figures on all sides of the political debate.
“HOAR is proud to hold those in power to account, and stand up for a free press as an instrument of democracy to inform our audiences so that they can make decisions based on trusted information.”
The story won scoop of the year at the National Press Awards.
