How News International hid the phone-hacking scandal
After News International yesterday paid out what is expected to be a healthy seven figure sum to 37 phone hacking victims, who had been targeted by the News of the World, high court judge, Mr Justice Vos, said that the Rupert Murdoch-owned company had made “an admission of sorts” that it deliberately engaged in a cover-up of evidence relating to phone hacking.
The judge said he had seen evidence which raised “compelling questions about whether you [News Group Newspapers] concealed, told lies, actively tried to get off scot free”.
He also laid the open way for the possibility of more hacking revelations as he ordered News International to search a number of computers that could well contain evidence that newspaper executives working for Murdoch tried to destroy traces of evidence of phone hacking.
He said that he had been shown emails detailing a “startling approach to the email record of NGN”, according to a report in the Guardian.
The emails he spoke of detailed how just days after the actress Sienna Miller, Jude Laws’ ex-girl friend, wrote to News International asking for it to keep any emails relating to hacking her phone, “a previously conceived plan to conceal evidence was put in train by NGN managers”.
“The judge read out a section from the confidential court papers detailing the cover-up allegations made by hacking victims against the company’s executives and directors. It included the charge that the company “put out public statements that it knew to be false”, that it had “deliberately deceived the police” and had destroyed evidence of wrongdoing including “a very substantial number of emails” as well as computers.
“NGN refused to admit the allegations but agreed that damages paid to the victims could be assessed “on the basis of the facts alleged”.
“Earlier it emerged that while the company refused to admit its former directors and senior executives had presided over a cover-up, it agreed that “aggravated damages” could be calculated “as if” the allegations that they lied, obstructed police and destroyed evidence were true. The Murdoch subsidiary said it had made the concessions solely for the purpose of “the interest of the prompt and efficient determination” of the claims against it,” the Guardian reports.
Yesterday celebrities, their friends, Labour politicians and their friends and aides formed the bulk of those who are to receive payouts from News International including Ashley Cole, Chris Bryant, Denis MacShane, John Prescott, Law and his ex-wife Sadie Frost.
