Telegraph defends Galloway revelations
The Daily Telegraph’s story about George Galloway’s alleged receipt of monies from Saddam Hussein’s regime was “tremendously important” for the public interest, the High Court heard on Wednesday.
Newspaper executive Neil Darbyshire gave evidence on the third day of the Glasgow Kelvin MP’s libel action against the newspaper.
Mr Galloway is suing The Telegraph over allegations that he received £375,000 in oil money from the dictator’s regime.
The 50-year old anti-war politician has branded the story “outrageous”.
Mr Darbyshire told the judge, Mr Justice Eady, the newspaper printed the story after the newspaper’s foreign correspondent, David Blair, discovered documents relating to Mr Galloway’s activities in Iraq in the ruins of the former Foreign Ministry in Baghdad.
These included a letter from Mr Galloway introducing his representative in Iraq for his Mariam Appeal, Fawaz Zureikat, and one from Iraqi deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz telling senior ministers about Mr Galloway’s forthcoming “work programme”.
Mr Justice Eady agreed that the documents could be the basis for “an interesting story”.
The judge, who is sitting without a jury, is due to hear closing submissions in the case on Friday.
A judgement is likely to come at a later date.
