Phone hacking update: Ex-employees ‘clarify’ Murdoch evidence
Chairman of News International, James Murdoch, was yesterday (21 July) seemingly forced to defend evidence he gave to the culture, media and sport select committee on Tuesday, after it was called into question by two former employees – ex-News of the World editor Colin Myler and lawyer Tom Crone.
According to reports, last night Crone and Myler released a statement seeking to “clarify” a significant piece of Murdoch’s evidence.
In the committee session, MP Tom Watson had asked James Murdoch if, when he signed off a settlement payment to Gordon Taylor, he had seen or was made aware of an email “suggesting hacking was more widespread than had been admitted”. And James Murdoch replied no, “I was not aware of that at the time”.
But in their statement, Myler and Crone claim his recollection of what he was told “was mistaken”.
In fact, we did inform him of the ‘for Neville’ email which had been produced to us by Gordon Taylor’s lawyers.
Following Myler and Crone’s statement, Murdoch issues a single line statement: “I stand behind my testimony to the select committee.”
According to a BBC report, Watson has said he will now ask police to investigate this evidence, while committee chair John Whittingdale, was quoted as saying that it will be asking Murdoch to respond and clarify this.
Similar posts:
- Letters in full from News International bosses to select committee
- Phone hacking: Harbottle & Lewis authorised to respond to MPs and police questions
- Myler on Mosley: ‘I make no apologies for publishing that story as editor’
- Select committees: Reaction to appearances by police, the Murdochs and Brooks
- Phone-hacking on Dispatches: a good documentary but not enough new evidence
