'Witch-hunt victim' Brooks slams phone-hacking investigation as 'waste of money'

London, May 16 (ANI): Former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks, who was charged with hiding evidence of phone hacking from police, slammed the investigation as a waste of public money, and called herself the victim of a witch-hunt.

Brooks, her husband, Charlie, and four current and former employees of News International were charged yesterday with conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

Brooks and her husband accused police and prosecutors of bowing to political pressure to find scapegoats for the hacking scandal, The Telegraph reports.

Charlie spoke first, describing the charges as 'an attempt to use him and others as scapegoats, the effect of which will be to ratchet up the pressure on his wife, who he believes is the subject of a witch-hunt.'

Brooks, 43, was no less reticent and questioned whether the court's decision was made on a proper, impartial assessment of the evidence or not.

"Whilst I have always respected the criminal justice system, I have to question today whether a decision was made on a proper, impartial assessment of the evidence. I'm baffled by the decision to charge me today," the paper quoted her, as saying.

"However, more importantly, I cannot express my anger enough that those closest to me have been dragged into this unfairly," Brooks said.

"One day the details of this case will emerge and people will see today as nothing more than an expensive sideshow, a waste of public money as a result of an unjust and weak decision," she added. (ANI)