PUBLISHER Rupert Murdoch is set to be called to give testimony next year to the Leveson inquiry into the standards, culture and ethics of the British press, it emerged yesterday during its final session before Christmas.
Meanwhile, News International, the UK subsidiary of Mr Murdoch’s News Corporation, announced it has settled seven civil actions taken by victims of News of the World phone-hacking, including James Hewitt, the alleged former lover of Princess Diana.
News Corporation has released more emails that appear to show Mr Murdoch's son, James, had a meeting with News of the World's editor Mr Colin Myler in May 2008 when the company was readying to pay £700,000 (about €838,000) to one victim, Gordon Taylor. Mr Taylor, then chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, was paid an inflated sum in a bid by News International to end the controversy and to prevent the embarrassment of a public hearing in court.
Both Mr James Murdoch and Mr Myler say they cannot remember the May 2008 meeting, although the two have been able to testify about a subsequent meeting that took place a month later when they discussed the implications of settling Mr Taylor’s action.
News that his father could be called to testify under oath to the inquiry came from its counsel, Mr Robert Jay, during questioning of the former Daily Mirroreditor and now CNN chat-show host Mr Piers Morgan.
Unlike other Leveson witnesses, Mr Morgan chose to give his evidence by video-link from New York, during which he firmly denied having had any knowledge that voicemails were hacked or that police were paid for information during his nine-year term at the helm of the tabloid.
However, he refused to explain how he had come to listen to a tape of a voicemail message left by ex-Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney on the mobile telephone of his then wife, Heather Mills, during theirs marital split.
Asked by Justice Brian Leveson: “Have you listened to recordings of what you knew to be illegally obtained voicemail messages?” Mr Morgan replied: “I don’t believe so, no.”
But he refused to say more since it would compromise his source.
“The only person who would lawfully be able to listen to the message is the lady in question or somebody authorised on her behalf to listen to it. Isn’t that right?” said Mr Justice Leveson, but Mr Morgan insisted he would say no more.
However, he went on: “All we know for a fact about Lady Heather Mills McCartney is that in their divorce case, Paul McCartney stated as a fact that she had recorded their conversations and given them to the media.”
Mr Morgan sought to distance himself from a comment that he gave in 2007 after the News of the World’s royal correspondent, Mr Clive Goodman, was jailed.
Mr Morgan said Mr Goodman was “the convenient fall-guy for an investigative practice that everyone knows was going on at almost every paper in Fleet Street for years”.
Pressed by Mr Jay, Mr Morgan said he had then been commenting on “the rumour at the time”.
