CMS select committee

News International chairman James Murdoch has challenged evidence given by former News of the World executives today


News International has hit back at evidence given by former company executives to the culture, media and sport select committee today as part of its phone hacking investigation, calling it "unclear and contradictory".

In a statement issued today, the company's chairman James Murdoch denied claims by former legal manager Tom Crone and former editor of the News of the World Colin Myler that they were certain Murdoch was informed of the "For Neville" email which suggested wrongdoing was more widespread than first thought.

"Everybody perfectly understood the seriousness of what we were discussing," Myler said in today's hearing.

But in response, Murdoch said he continued to stand by his testimony that he was not aware of the email.

"I was told by Mr Crone and Mr Myler when we met, in that short meeting, that the civil litigation related to the interception of Mr Taylor’s voicemails to which Mulcaire had pleaded guilty the previous year.

"I was informed, for the first time, that there was evidence that Mulcaire had carried out this interception on behalf of the News of the World. It was for this reason alone that Mr Crone and Mr Myler recommended settlement. It was in this context that the evidence was discussed. They did not show me the email, nor did they refer to Neville Thurlbeck.

"Neither Mr Myler nor Mr Crone told me that wrongdoing extended beyond Mr Goodman or Mr Mulcaire.

"As I said in my testimony, there was nothing discussed in the meeting that led me to believe that a further investigation was necessary."

During the evidence session today Crone denied suggestions that the joint statement he released with Myler earlier this year contradicted previous evidence given, and that he had misled the committee when given evidence in 2009.

In its statement News International said it continues to cooperate fully with the Metropolitan Police in its phone hacking and police payment investigations.

"We are eager to assist it in any way possible to ensure that those responsible for criminal acts are brought to justice," the company added in a statement.
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