Ex-valet withdraws (Prince) Charles story

[Newsjock]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3802037.stm

A former royal valet has withdrawn an allegation that he had seen the Prince of Wales in an unspecified incident with a servant.

George Smith's claims, denied at the time by the prince's spokesman, were printed in the Mail On Sunday seven months ago.

Mr Smith has now told the Sunday Telegraph that the story was untrue.

He says he made the claim originally because he was angry with the servant, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

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[LittleApple81]

1. He got hush money, I bet. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

3. A death threat would be very persuasive, too, no doubt. n/t

[kskiska]

2. Never mind…

My allegations were groundless and baseless.

[Matilda]

4. He was paid 60,000 pounds for his story - for that kind of money,

some people will say anything you want.

I think perhaps there should be tighter laws regarding checkbook
journalism. At the worst, criminals can benefit from their crime,
and at the least, some very sleazy people get rich at someone else's
expense.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

5. Many years ago...

I worked for Duran Duran. When I left them(Fired. The story of working for bands. You are eventually just a moving target...) I was offered first 15,000 pounds, then 30,000 for a dirt dump. Since I looked forward to continued employment in my chosen vocation, I decided to turn it down.

The paper was the Daily Mirror.

It's how they do their business.

[Matilda]

6. Good for you - I have a feeling you're probably a rarity!

n/t

[MaineDem]

7. Ex-royal valet 'sticks by claim'

An ex-royal valet who claimed he saw an incident involving Prince Charles has denied withdrawing the allegation.

George Smith was paid £60,000 by the Mail on Sunday for the story, which has been denied by the prince, last year.

In a statement to PA, Mr Smith admitted he was tempted by the cash offer to say that he had told lies because he was deeply in debt.

But, he says, he could not accept the money because "if I had said that it would not be true".

"I stick by what I have always said. I told The Mail on Sunday what I witnessed and that is the truth," his statement added.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3802037.stm

The BBC tends to change headlines, no?