James Murdoch, chairman of News International, rejected the allegations of two former members of the group leadership, who said that he knew about an email suggesting that phone tapping was common practice.
James Murdoch, who earlier had told British parliamentarians that he had no knowledge of such an email, said Tuesday that he maintains his story, informs Sky News website.
Two former executives of News International (NI) said before the British parliament that they were convinced that James Murdoch knew about a particular e-mail suggesting that wiretapping was a practice more widespread than the company initially admitted. Former chief editor of News of the World, Colin Myler, and Tom Crone, former manager of the legal department of the publication, have appeared at a hearing of the Parliamentary Committee for Culture, Media and Sport.
MPs have questioned the two about Murdoch’s statements to the effect that he knew nothing about the email that suggested that phone tapping was a widespread practice.
When he was questioned by the British parliamentary committee in July, James Murdoch said he knew nothing about this e-mail, which contained transcripts of a conversation, illegally intercepted, of Gordon Taylor, head of the Professional Footballers Association. Apparently, the e-mail about Taylor was addressed to Neville Thurlbeck, chief of the reporter team at News of the World.
The statement of James Murdoch, that he knew nothing about this email, was contradicted by Myler and Crone.
Crone admitted that wiretaps were widespread and not only a violation committed byf Clive Goodman, the royal correspondent of the News of the World. He said that he informed, in 2008, Murdoch JR. about the e-mail addressed to Neville Thurlbeck, in a 15-minute meeting, which was attended by Myler as well.
Currently, News Corporation and News International are in the midst of a scandal concerning illegal wiretaps, which began in Britain, but appears to have ramifications in the United States of America.
According to police, the British newspaper News of the World, owned by the media group, would have intercepted conversations of about 4,000 people, including families of murdered teenagers. These revelations have raised the entire political class in Britain against Rupert Murdoch.
The closing of the newspaper News of the World (NOTW), with a history of 168 years, which managed, at a point to beone of the most popular titles in Britain, did not end the scandal of illegal wiretaps.
The case of interceptions, dating from the early 2000s, was already marked by the arrest of several journalists, a correspondent to the Royal House and a private detective, and several resignations, including that of Andy Coulson, communication director of David Cameron, previously editor of NOTW. In recent weeks, British police operated more arrests, among them being Coulson, and Rebekah Brooks, former director of News International – British division of News Corp., but most of them were released on bail.
It’s known that the phones of hundreds, even thousands of personalities – the royal family, politicians, movie and sports stars – were wiretapped by journalists.