Murdoch faces questions over evidence to committee

British lawmakers on Friday challenged James Murdoch, the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, over allegations that he may have misled parliament over the phone-hacking scandal.

Reuters/Parbul TV via Reuters Tv

James Murdoch appeared alongside his father at a parliamentary committee on Tuesday to answer questions about the news hacking scandal that has shocked the nation.

In his evidence to the committee, James Murdoch said he was "not aware" of an email suggesting phone hacking at the now defunct News of the World newspaper went wider than one rogue reporter before authorising a payout to a victim in 2008.

Colin Myler, the former News of the World editor, and News International's ex-legal manager Tom Crone, issued a statement late Thursday saying this is not correct.

Myler, who lost his job when the News of the World closed, and Crone, who resigned last week, said they had informed him of the email before he authorised the settlement.

"We would like to point out that James Murdoch's recollection of what he was told when agreeing to settle the... litigation was mistaken," they said.

Following the statement, John Whittingdale, chairman of the culture, media and sport select committee, said James Murdoch now had questions to answer.

"Clearly the statement by Tom Crone and Colin Myler does conflict with what James Murdoch told the committee," said Whittingdale.

The development puts the spotlight back on the Murdochs, a day after the row appeared to be spreading beyond his newspapers when it emerged the police had asked a regulator for files exposing the use of private investigators by other titles.

The phone hacking scandal has also put pressure on Prime Minister David Cameron over his decision to hire a former News of the World editor as his media chief, and his revelation that he discussed Murdoch's bid to take full control of pay-TV giant BSkyB with the group's executives.