A private Detective who worked for newspapers owned by the Rupert Murdoch empire blagged a hotel bill of a leading New York financier who stayed at Claridge’s Hotel in central London.
Private investigator Steve Whittamore, or a colleague of his, tricked staff at the hotel in Mayfair into supplying a copy of the bill which belonged to Robert Agostinelli. This evidence brings to light the fact that US citizens were targeted by private investigators in the UK who were employed by the Murdoch empire.
Mr Agostinelli is Chairman and Co founder of the private equity firm Rhone Group. He is regarded as one of the richest financiers in the world and is reported as being a self made billionaire.
These findings were put together from information obtained by the Information Commissioners Office after a raid on Mr Whittamore’s offices back in 2003. Whittamore was subsequently convicted of illegally trading personal information. Although he was convicted he was not given a jail sentence.
The findings show that Whittamore’s investigation into Mr Agostinelli were instigated by the News of the World. The News of the World was shut down by Rupert Murdoch himself on 10th July 2011 after the phone hacking scandal became public. Clive Goodman the former royal editor for the News of the World and Glenn Mulcaire, a private detective, were both jailed for phone hacking back in 2007.