The company is saying that while it did hire investigators to analyse phone records on directors and journalists calls it didn't listen to the calls themselves. This seems about as unlikely as finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. After all, surely the directors could claim they were talking about something else, and not every phone call leads to a story.

This case is bad in so many ways, but how it came to light is rather amusing. Apparently the details only leaked after Deutsche Telekom forgot to pay its bill to the investigator. Hell hath no fury like an accounts department scorned.

PS Sleuth has been taking an extended break but is now back in action full time. All tips and hints to the usual address please.