BBC apparently caught lying: embarassment for respected broadcaster

Adam Euston Jones

At 18.50hrs a BBC 1 television news bulletin stated that Mark Collett and Nick Griffin of the British National Party are to face a retrial for the ‘inciting racial hatred’ charges that a jury could not decide, after finding them innocent of most such charges.

This statement also appeared on their website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/4672792.stm

The respected State broadcaster apparently lied by saying that the Free
Speech Two face a “race hate retrial”. This is, unfortunately, not true,
because the decision on a retrial has not yet been made by the legal system.

Fact 1: The BBC announced to a select few, the supposed retrial within
minutes of the trial concluding and this information was broadcast to Nick’s
defence team within minutes of Nick and Mark emerging from Leeds Crown
Court.

Fact 2: The leading State prosecutor in the trial, Mr. Jameson QC, ended the
trial by saying he would have to “consider his position” with regards to a
possible retrial. This statement was made in Leeds Crown Court at the very
close of play today just after 4pm. An administrative hearing will take
place next week at Leeds where the details of the trial will be discussed.
No decision can be made by the AG until this meeting has taken place.

Fact 3: The decision to force Mark Collett and Nick Griffin to face a
retrial has to be made by the CPS after referral to the Attorney General for
his permission to prosecute. The AG would not have been able to make such a
decision within minutes of the conclusion of the trial. He would not have
been able to make a decision without examining at length fresh evidence and
considering the public interest (and costs) of a retrial.

The BBC news team could not possibly be aware of the decision of the AG,
when it is obvious no decision has yet been made. It may take weeks for a
decision to be made.

With half the charges unanimously dismissed by the jury it would be a very
weak position for the CPS to force a retrial.

The BBC must now explain this lie and issue a correction and an apology.

We suspect that it is an attempt to pour cold water on the euphoric
celebrations being held across Britain by BNP units and other supporters of
free speech. It as after all the BBC that started this whole affair by
employing an undercover “investigator” who bribed former BNP activists with
drink in exchange for “interesting conversation”.

BBC Complaints can be contacted by

Phone: 08700 100 222

Online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/make_complaint_step1.shtml

Write: BBC Complaints,

PO Box 1922,

Glasgow G2 3WT

http://www.bnp.org.uk/news_detail.php?newsId=764