Millions watch as Commons panel grills Murdochs on scandal.
It was a day of high drama. It contained material that would most definitely have made it to the front page of News of the World, had it still been alive.
The venue was Westminster and the event was watched by millions all over the world, with great interest. Media baron and News Corporation chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch, along with his son, James Murdoch, were questioned by a British parliamentary committee collecting evidence in the phone hacking case that has taken the media world here by storm over the past two and half weeks.
The Murdochs appeared extremely cooperative for the most part. However, Rupert Murdoch in parts seemed to oscillate between extreme caution to a semblance of defiance, mixed with a sense of irritation at being riddled with the most detailed questions at what went behind the phone hacking at News of the World. In all, the Murdochs must have answered or tried to answer a little over 500 questions. Later in the day, News International’s former CEO, Rebekah Brooks, will be questioned by the same committee.
The questioning lasted nearly three hours. It was briefly interrupted by a man who tried to attack Murdoch Sr with a plastic plate of a substance that some claimed to be pie; the latter was unhurt; his jacket was soiled. Father and son returned to be questioned by the last member of the 10-member committee. The attacker was identified as a comedian named Johnnie Marbles (not confirmed by the police) and led away for questioning by the police.
The searching questions by the committee members began with Labour MP Tom Watson, the man best known for this two-year campaign in trying to expose the alleged criminal activities in Murdoch’s media empire.
Watson’s questions seemed to point to the fact that Rupert Murdoch, despite being chairman of the group and known for his hands-on style of management (including editorial matters) was not exactly in control was what was happening in his group. At some point, Murdoch Sr was forced to admit he could not take full responsibility for everything that had happened in News of the World. “I am not responsible for the whole fiasco. People whom I trusted are responsible,” he said.
Despite James’ attempts to help his father in answering the questions, committee members ensured the 80-year-old chairman of the group answered the questions addressed to him. During the questioning, it also emerged that News International had paid for the legal fees of some of the convicted felons who worked for News of the World in gathering information through illegal means.
Both father and son arrived at the hearing on time, at the scheduled hour of 2:30 in the afternoon. Rupert Murdoch was accompanied by his third wife, Wendi, who whispered comforting words into his ears before the start of the questioning. James Murdoch, on behalf of both his father and himself, requested they be allowed to read a prepared statement. This was denied, but the chairman of the committee, John Whittingdale, allowed Rupert Murdoch to read the statement at the close of the three-hour questioning.
