Lawmaker seeks new information over phone hacking

Financial Times report claims the company was still paying Coulson's legal expenses

PTI | August 25, 2011



A leading lawmaker examining the country's phone hacking scandal on Wednesday called on Rupert Murdoch's news empire to confirm whether it is paying the legal fees of the former editor of the now shuttered News of The World tabloid.

Andy Coulson quit in 2007 as the editor of the tabloid after a reporter and a private investigator were jailed for hacking into the voicemails of royal staff. He served as communications chief to David Cameron, then Britain's opposition leader from late 2007 until January of this year.

News Corp.'s British arm, News International, declined to comment Wednesday on a Financial Times report which claimed the company was still paying Coulson's legal expenses.

"What it is about this news and information conglomerate that prevents them from giving a yes or no reply to a straight question," opposition Labour Party lawmaker Tom Watson said.

Watson has been a leading figure in the campaign to expose illicit practices in British journalism, and is a member of Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which is investigating the scandal.

"I call on James Murdoch to just say whether or not his company is paying Andy Coulson's legal fees," Watson told The Associated Press.

News International has also declined to discuss a previous BBC report that claimed Coulson received severance pay amounting to several hundred thousand dollars in the months after he quit in 2007, including during a period after he was working for Cameron.

The BBC, which did not cite sources, reported that Coulson had also kept his health care plan and company car. Coulson received a reported salary of about 300,000 pounds (USD 491,500) as editor of the tabloid.

Coulson is among 15 people arrested in case only one of whom has been cleared so far. He denies any wrongdoing.

Comments

 

Other News

Who checks the books?

I read about the news about the Coimbatore library over coffee this morning. On the face of it, the headline was about a political ‘war’ between the DMK and TVK. But what stayed with me was something much more important than the blame game behind what had transpired. A writer walking through

Development paradox: Falling poverty miracle and an inequality problem

India’s reduction in poverty over the past decade is a development achievement of considerable significance. The World Bank’s April 2026 ‘India Development Update’ estimates that the share of Indians living below the international extreme-poverty line of $3.00 per person per day i

In Arunachal, a river we call mother

In Arunachal Pradesh, the Siang is not just a river. For many of us, especially the Adi people, it is part of our family. Our grandparents fished in it. Children learned to swim in it. Our farms drink from it. When someone says a huge dam will be built on it, we do not hear the word "project".

A new retelling of the Mahabharata delves into key moments

In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, ‘Mahakshana’ (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.  

Cabinet approves viability gap funding to develop grid-scale energy storage systems

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems, with a total financial support of Rs.14,500 crore for the period FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. The scheme aims to support the development o

Cabinet creates a pathway to absorb Agniveers in Defence Forces

An objective assessment in terms of organisational requirements and operational efficiency has brought out the outstanding performance of Agniveers in terms of skills, motivation levels, physical fitness and technological prowess. As envisaged earlier, based on merit, 25% of Agniveers will be offered reg

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter