Member News
By Isabel Hardman and Richard Welbirg - 10th November 2011
James Murdoch today rejected as 'offensive' claims that he had acted like a 'mafia boss' during the News International phone hacking scandal.
Speaking to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Mr Murdoch also claimed that former News of the World Editor Colin Myler and lawyer Tom Crone misled the committee with their evidence. He was accused by Labour MP Tom Watson of acting like a "mafia boss".
He denied ever being shown emails or legal advice which had details of just how widespread phone hacking and other illegal activity was within News of the World.
In two-and-a-half hours of dramatic evidence, Mr Murdoch:
- Refused to rule out closing the Sun if further allegations of phone hacking were proven correct. He said: "I don't think we can rule anything out."
- Claimed the evidence offered by Colin Myler and Tom Crone to the Committee was full of "supposition" and misled the committee. He said: "I believe their testimony was misleading. I dispute it."
- Revealed that Tom Crone authorised the surveillance of lawyers representing phone hacking victims.
- Offered a "full apology" for the Sun's coverage of the Hillsborough disaster.
Mr Murdoch repeatedly claimed he was unaware of the extent of the phone hacking and surveillance activity at the News of the World. He told Labour MP Paul Farrelly: "There’s a lot of supposition. What never happened was Mr Crone and Mr Myler showing me the relevant evidence, explaining the relevant evidence and why it was relevant."
"People can suppose that I might have understood, but at the end of the day those things were not provided."
He was also confronted by Tom Watson, who said: "Mr Murdoch, you must be the first mafia boss in history who didn't know he was running a criminal enterprise." But Mr Murdoch claimed this description was "inappropriate".
Mr Watson also said he had met Neville Thurlbeck, the reporter whose name was mentioned in an email which suggested phone hacking was far more widespread at the company than its management had initially claimed.
He said Mr Thurlbeck had recounted a conversation with Tom Crone. Mr Thurlbeck said: "Tom took [the email] to him. The following week I said "did you show him the email?" He said "yes I did". Now he can't remember whether he showed it to Mr Murdoch or not. He said "it's alright, it's fine, it's settled."
The Committee is now considering all the evidence it has heard and will not call any further witnesses, Committee chair John Whittingdale said after the session: "I think it unlikely that we will have any further sessions. I think the committee will now want to compare these two, reach conclusions and present them to the House of Commons."
James Murdoch evidence as it happened - live blog.
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