ktlight
17th August 2011, 08:24
Phone hacking was "widely discussed" at News of the World, the royal correspondent jailed and sacked for the practice wrote in 2007, according to documents released Tuesday by a Parliament committee investigating the scandal.
The letter was among a string of documents released by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee relating to the scandal.
The committee is likely to call News Corp. executive James Murdoch to testify before them again as members try to determine whether he misled them last month about the scale of phone hacking at News of the World and who knew about it, member of Parliament Tom Watson said Tuesday.
Executives at News International have argued that illegal activities were not widespread.
The letter published Tuesday reveals that while fighting his dismissal from the paper, former royal correspondent Clive Goodman alleged that "other members of staff were carrying out the same illegal procedures."
He also wrote that "explicit reference" to phone hacking was "banned."
The copy of the letter, published by lawmakers investigating the scandal, blacks out the name of the person who banned it.
Andy Coulson, who resigned as Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman at the start of this year amid renewed questions over phone hacking, has denied knowing it was going on while he was editor of News of the World. He resigned from that position on the day Goodman was jailed. Coulson was arrested and released on bail last month.
John Whittingdale, who chairs the parliamentary committee, said after its members met Tuesday that he anticipated James Murdoch, as chairman of News International, would have more questions to answer on the phone-hacking issue.
"James Murdoch clearly is the man who is ultimately responsible for News International in this country," he said, adding that Rupert Murdoch seemed to have less insight into the detail of the case.
Commenting on the evidence from the committee, a News International statement said:
"News Corporation's board has set up a Management and Standards Committee, chaired by independent Chairman Lord Grabiner, which is co-operating fully with the Metropolitan Police and is facilitating their investigation into illegal voice mail interception at the News of the World and related issues. We recognize the seriousness of materials disclosed to the police and Parliament and are committed to working in a constructive and open way with all the relevant authorities."
The correspondence released Tuesday reveals that Whittingdale sent James Murdoch a list of 19 questions after his testimony before the committee, ranging from who was on duty at News of the World when Milly Dowler's phone was hacked to what legal fees News International paid for private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.
Two police investigations are also under way into the allegations that journalists from the News of the World hacked into voice mails of people ranging from celebrities to crime victims and illegally paid police for information. A dozen people have been arrested in connection with the inquiries.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqA1iV28ICQ&feature=player_embedded
The letter was among a string of documents released by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee relating to the scandal.
The committee is likely to call News Corp. executive James Murdoch to testify before them again as members try to determine whether he misled them last month about the scale of phone hacking at News of the World and who knew about it, member of Parliament Tom Watson said Tuesday.
Executives at News International have argued that illegal activities were not widespread.
The letter published Tuesday reveals that while fighting his dismissal from the paper, former royal correspondent Clive Goodman alleged that "other members of staff were carrying out the same illegal procedures."
He also wrote that "explicit reference" to phone hacking was "banned."
The copy of the letter, published by lawmakers investigating the scandal, blacks out the name of the person who banned it.
Andy Coulson, who resigned as Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman at the start of this year amid renewed questions over phone hacking, has denied knowing it was going on while he was editor of News of the World. He resigned from that position on the day Goodman was jailed. Coulson was arrested and released on bail last month.
John Whittingdale, who chairs the parliamentary committee, said after its members met Tuesday that he anticipated James Murdoch, as chairman of News International, would have more questions to answer on the phone-hacking issue.
"James Murdoch clearly is the man who is ultimately responsible for News International in this country," he said, adding that Rupert Murdoch seemed to have less insight into the detail of the case.
Commenting on the evidence from the committee, a News International statement said:
"News Corporation's board has set up a Management and Standards Committee, chaired by independent Chairman Lord Grabiner, which is co-operating fully with the Metropolitan Police and is facilitating their investigation into illegal voice mail interception at the News of the World and related issues. We recognize the seriousness of materials disclosed to the police and Parliament and are committed to working in a constructive and open way with all the relevant authorities."
The correspondence released Tuesday reveals that Whittingdale sent James Murdoch a list of 19 questions after his testimony before the committee, ranging from who was on duty at News of the World when Milly Dowler's phone was hacked to what legal fees News International paid for private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.
Two police investigations are also under way into the allegations that journalists from the News of the World hacked into voice mails of people ranging from celebrities to crime victims and illegally paid police for information. A dozen people have been arrested in connection with the inquiries.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqA1iV28ICQ&feature=player_embedded