UK News 22-12-2000 Neil Hamilton`s Unhappy Christmas who: Neil Hamilton what: Loses appeal against "cash for questions" verdict where: Court of Appeal, LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: "Neil Hamilton, the disgraced former Tory minister, last night faced the final humiliation of bankruptcy," reports The Times, "after suffering his second crushing defeat in the cash for questions libel case against his arch enemy, Mohamed Al Fayed." "The decision comes a year to the day after a bitter five-week High Court contest against Mohammed Al Fayed which left the former Tatton MP with an estimated 2m costs bill," explains the BBC. The Court of Appeal in London upheld the verdict of the jury in the High Court, says The Telegraph, "despite accepting that Mr Fayed authorised a payment of £10,000 for confidential documents stolen from bins outside the offices of Mr Hamilton`s barrister." The legal battle dates back to a Channel 4 programme in 1997, recalls ITN, which prompted Mr Hamilton to sue over claims that "he had corruptly demanded and accepted cash payments, gift vouchers and a free holiday at the Paris Ritz in return for asking parliamentary questions on behalf of Harrods." "As this most public of painful dramas reached its final conclusion," says The Independent, Mr Hamilton and his wife Christine "attempted to keep up the bravest of appearances, hinting at further action in the European Court of Human Rights to prove they had been wronged." [... more]

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