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| Rupert Murdoch to be recalled by MPs over comments on illegal payments | Rupert Murdoch to be recalled by MPs over comments on illegal payments |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Rupert Murdoch has agreed to go before a parliamentary committee for a second grilling about activities at his British newspaper empire. | |
| MPs on the Commons culture, media and sport select committee, which quizzed the media tycoon and his son James two years ago about the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, voted on Tuesday to ask him to return in the autumn to answer questions over a meeting he had with more than 20 Sun journalists who have been arrested in connection with alleged unlawful payments to police and other public officials for stories. | MPs on the Commons culture, media and sport select committee, which quizzed the media tycoon and his son James two years ago about the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, voted on Tuesday to ask him to return in the autumn to answer questions over a meeting he had with more than 20 Sun journalists who have been arrested in connection with alleged unlawful payments to police and other public officials for stories. |
| A statement released by Murdoch's spokesman said: "Mr Murdoch welcomes the opportunity to return to the Select Committee and answer their questions. He looks forward to clearing up any misconceptions as soon as possible." | |
| Members of the select committee indicate that this would be in the late autumn as the criminal trials scheduled for his former UK newspaper chief executive Rebekah Brooks is scheduled for September and this could raise legal issues. | |
| In the meeting in March, he was secretly recorded saying the culture of paying police officers for stories "existed at every newspaper in Fleet Street. Long since forgotten. But absolutely." He said it was part of the "culture of Fleet Street" and had existed long before the Sun journalists had been arrested. | In the meeting in March, he was secretly recorded saying the culture of paying police officers for stories "existed at every newspaper in Fleet Street. Long since forgotten. But absolutely." He said it was part of the "culture of Fleet Street" and had existed long before the Sun journalists had been arrested. |
| The recording has prompted fresh scrutiny of over the historical culture and practices at News International, rebranded News UK last month as part of a bid to close the chapter on phone hacking and illegal payments. | The recording has prompted fresh scrutiny of over the historical culture and practices at News International, rebranded News UK last month as part of a bid to close the chapter on phone hacking and illegal payments. |
| A source on the select committee said the majority of MPs had voted in favour of asking him to return in the autumn. | A source on the select committee said the majority of MPs had voted in favour of asking him to return in the autumn. |
| "We will write him the letter and we shall see what he says," said the source. The committee cannot compel him to appear, however, as he is a US citizen who does not live in the UK. | "We will write him the letter and we shall see what he says," said the source. The committee cannot compel him to appear, however, as he is a US citizen who does not live in the UK. |
| In July 2011, at the height of the phone-hacking scandal, the media baron agreed to appear before the culture select committee with his son James, then chairman of News International, after the closure of the News of the World following revelations about the interception of Milly Dowler's voicemail. | In July 2011, at the height of the phone-hacking scandal, the media baron agreed to appear before the culture select committee with his son James, then chairman of News International, after the closure of the News of the World following revelations about the interception of Milly Dowler's voicemail. |
| Appearing nervous and anxious to appease British public opinion, the 82-year-old told the committee it was "the most humble day of my life". His appearance was the first before a parliamentary committee in his 40-year career in the UK. | Appearing nervous and anxious to appease British public opinion, the 82-year-old told the committee it was "the most humble day of my life". His appearance was the first before a parliamentary committee in his 40-year career in the UK. |
| The secret recordings portray a different attitude towards the police investigating his newspaper empire. In the 45-minute recording he lashes out against the "incompetent" police and vows to hit back when the time is right. | The secret recordings portray a different attitude towards the police investigating his newspaper empire. In the 45-minute recording he lashes out against the "incompetent" police and vows to hit back when the time is right. |
| On one clip published by investigative journalism website Exaro News and broadcast by Channel 4 an unidentified Sun journalist asks Murdoch: "I'm pretty confident that the working practices that I've seen here are ones that I've inherited, rather than instigated. Would you recognise that all this predates many of our involvement here?" | On one clip published by investigative journalism website Exaro News and broadcast by Channel 4 an unidentified Sun journalist asks Murdoch: "I'm pretty confident that the working practices that I've seen here are ones that I've inherited, rather than instigated. Would you recognise that all this predates many of our involvement here?" |
| Murdoch replies: "We're talking about payments for news tips from cops. That's been going on a hundred years, absolutely." | Murdoch replies: "We're talking about payments for news tips from cops. That's been going on a hundred years, absolutely." |
| Earlier in the tape, Murdoch tells the Sun journalists: "I don't know of anybody, or anything, that did anything that wasn't being done across Fleet Street and wasn't the culture." | Earlier in the tape, Murdoch tells the Sun journalists: "I don't know of anybody, or anything, that did anything that wasn't being done across Fleet Street and wasn't the culture." |
| News UK has maintained that Murdoch "never knew of payments made by Sun staff to police before News Corporation disclosed that to UK authorities". | News UK has maintained that Murdoch "never knew of payments made by Sun staff to police before News Corporation disclosed that to UK authorities". |
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