MPs seek Murdoch's clarification on hacking
Source: Agencies |
July 30, 2011, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
BRITISH lawmakers said yesterday that they would write to News Corp's James Murdoch asking him to give more details about the evidence on phone hacking he gave to a parliamentary committee, following claims his testimony was "mistaken."
But the Culture, Media and Sport Committee voted against recalling Murdoch, News Corp's deputy chief operating officer and chairman of its UK newspaper arm News International, as some of its members had demanded.
The committee wants him to clarify details he provided earlier this month about phone hacking allegations at the News of the World.
"We are going to write to ask for further details on areas where evidence is disputed," the committee's Chairman John Whittingdale said.
The decision comes after Tom Crone, News International's former senior legal officer, and Colin Myler, editor of the News of the World until it was shut down earlier this month, issued a statement saying some of Murdoch's evidence was wrong.
Myler and Crone said they told him of an e-mail from a News of the World reporter to chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck that contained transcripts of hacked voicemails.
Thurlbeck was chief reporter when it published a story about English soccer executive Gordon Taylor. Murdoch later approved a large payout to Taylor, but told the committee he had not been in possession of all the facts when he approved it.
Whittingdale said the committee would also write to Crone and Myler and News International's then lawyers, Harbottle & Lewis, to provide further information.
"Once we have received those replies ... we expect to receive them very shortly, the committee will meet again, probably in about two weeks' time to determine what further actions to make," he added.
Allegations of hacking at News Corp's UK newspapers, in particular reports that journalists accessed the voicemails of murder victims, have triggered a judicial inquiry and calls from some politicians to cap News Corp's media ownership.
It has already led to Rupert Murdoch's global media empire dropping its US$12 billion bid for the 61 percent of pay-TV broadcaster BSkyB it does not own.
"It is my view that Murdoch, Crone and Myler should have been invited today," said committee member Tom Watson.
But the Culture, Media and Sport Committee voted against recalling Murdoch, News Corp's deputy chief operating officer and chairman of its UK newspaper arm News International, as some of its members had demanded.
The committee wants him to clarify details he provided earlier this month about phone hacking allegations at the News of the World.
"We are going to write to ask for further details on areas where evidence is disputed," the committee's Chairman John Whittingdale said.
The decision comes after Tom Crone, News International's former senior legal officer, and Colin Myler, editor of the News of the World until it was shut down earlier this month, issued a statement saying some of Murdoch's evidence was wrong.
Myler and Crone said they told him of an e-mail from a News of the World reporter to chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck that contained transcripts of hacked voicemails.
Thurlbeck was chief reporter when it published a story about English soccer executive Gordon Taylor. Murdoch later approved a large payout to Taylor, but told the committee he had not been in possession of all the facts when he approved it.
Whittingdale said the committee would also write to Crone and Myler and News International's then lawyers, Harbottle & Lewis, to provide further information.
"Once we have received those replies ... we expect to receive them very shortly, the committee will meet again, probably in about two weeks' time to determine what further actions to make," he added.
Allegations of hacking at News Corp's UK newspapers, in particular reports that journalists accessed the voicemails of murder victims, have triggered a judicial inquiry and calls from some politicians to cap News Corp's media ownership.
It has already led to Rupert Murdoch's global media empire dropping its US$12 billion bid for the 61 percent of pay-TV broadcaster BSkyB it does not own.
"It is my view that Murdoch, Crone and Myler should have been invited today," said committee member Tom Watson.
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