James Murdoch quits as hacking claims keep coming
Karen Kissane
March 1, 2012 - 7:42AM/the AGE
James Murdoch will step down as executive chairman of News International, the UK newspaper arm of News Corporation.
James Murdoch resigns from News International executive Chairman after intense pressure from the phone-hacking scandal in the UK.
The phone-hacking scandal appears to have claimed its largest scalp to date with the resignation last night of the Murdoch empire’s heir-apparent, James, as executive chairman of News International, the company that publishes The Times and The Sun and which used to publish the now-defunct News of the World.
The news comes as the Leveson inquiry into phone hacking was told that the phone of Rebekah Brooks, former chief executive of News International, was hacked twice a week by colleagues at the News of the World while she was editing its sister newspaper, The Sun.
In a move that raises questions about the succession to Rupert Murdoch, James is leaving the print-based British arm but will keep responsibility for international television interests as deputy chief operating officer for News Corporation.
Standing down... James Murdoch is driven away from the offices of News International in London. Photo: AP
James Murdoch has faced tough questions from British parliamentarians about how much he knew about the degree of phone-hacking at the News of the World. The day before his resignation was announced, he was lambasted by MP Chris Bryant, who accused him of being involved in a corporate cover-up of hacking at News International.
The hacking took place before Mr Murdoch was in the chair but he was in charge in 2009 and 2010 when the company repeatedly denied that hacking went beyond a single “rogue reporter”. His five-year term also saw the closure of the News of the World after revelations it had hacked the voicemail of a murdered schoolgirl, as well as the decision to put The Times website behind a pay-wall.
There were more revelations this week at the Leveson inquiry into the media about the degree to which Ms Brooks knew of police evidence of widespread phone hacking in 2006. This led to further questions about how Mr Murdoch, to whom she reported, could have remained unknowing.
The Press Association reports that Scotland Yard detectives invited Ms Brooks to join their 2006 prosecution of a journalist and private detective working for the News of the World as a potential victim of illegal interception of voicemails after it was found her voicemail had been intercepted as often as twice a week.
She did not take up the offer, and in fact passed on information about the hacking investigation she gleaned from the police to the News of the World's lawyers.
Paul Connew, a former deputy editor of the News of the World, told the BBC he thought Mr Murdoch “had been moved out of the firing line” because he would face sharp criticism in the final report by a media select committee of MPs investigating hacking.
“He wasn’t around when the original hacking era started. He wasn’t around when the doomed and disastrous cover-up was launched. The trouble is that wittingly or unwittingly … he became caught up in that cover-up,” Mr Connew said.
Mr Murdoch had acknowledged receiving an email from a senior executive that warned of evidence that hacking was more widespread but had denied opening the attachment with this information. Mr Connew said this either amounted to “complete incompetence or something more sinister”.
Mr Connew said there were rumours on Wall Street that News Corp was considering bundling its News International titles into a separate company, detached from News Corp.
News Corp faced the prospect of a “devastating prosecution” under laws that forbid American companies to be involved in corruption of public officials overseas, he said. Several NI staff have been arrested over suspicions of payments to officials in Britain.
Rupert Murdoch would still control any such new company, Mr Connew said. ...<cont>
Rebekah Brooks among six arrested in phone-hacking investigation
Vikram Dodd and Josh Halliday
Guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 13 March 2012 11.00 GMT
Former Sun editor held by Operation Weeting detectives on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice
Rebekah Brooks, the fomer Sun and News of the World editor, was among six arrested today in Operation Weeting's phone-hacking investigation. Photograph: Barry Batchelor/PA
Rebekah Brooks is among six people arrested by Scotland Yard detectives on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, as part of the investigation into phone hacking.
The former News International chief executive was arrested at her home in Oxfordshire by detectives from Operation Weeting. Sources also said that her husband, racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks, was arrested.
The Metropolitan police refused to confirm the names of those arrested, but said that a 43-year-old woman and a 49-year-old man had been held. News International and the lawyer for Brooks declined to comment on the reports.
This morning's arrests took place between 5am and 7am at addresses in London, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Hertfordshire.
The Met police said a 39-year-old man was arrested in Hampshire, a 46-year-old man was arrested in west London, and a 48-year-old man was arrested at a business address in east London. All six are currently being interviewed at police stations.
Another of the men arrested is Mark Hanna, the director of group security at News International. A second of those arrested was described by News International sources as being a "non-editorial employee"; their name was not released by the company.
Scotland Yard said in a statement: "A number of addresses connected to the arrests are being searched. Today's operation follows consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service."
Police said the arrests did not result from information passed to them by News Corporation's management and standards committee (MSC).
The arrests form the biggest single swoop yet by the Met police in its ongoing investigation into alleged voicemail interception. So far 23 people have been held under Operation Weeting, with two people released without charge.
Brooks was also previously arrested on 17 July last year on appointment at a London police station on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications, contrary to Section1(1) Criminal Law Act 1977 and on suspicion of corruption allegations contrary to Section 1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906.
The former Sun and News of the World editor was held in the summer 48 hours after she resigned as News International's chief executive.
