Stephenson resigned Sunday without warning, as the Metropolitan police force became drawn ever closer into the phone hacking and corruption probes at Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World newspaper.
The former head of London's Metropolitan Police, Sir Paul Stephenson has faced questions from British lawmakers on his relationship with Rupert Murdoch's News of the World.
Murdoch, the News Corp. chief, his son James and Rebekah Brooks, the former editor of News of the World, are due to appear before the U.K. Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on Tuesday to answer questions on an issue that has brought the police — and even the prime minister's office — under intense scrutiny.
The three will face three hours of questioning over the extent to which they knew, approved or covered up widespread illegal phone hacking at News International.
CNN is among those ofering live coverage of the testimony.
Specifically, the lawmakers are seeking more details about the scale of criminality at Murdoch's tabloid News of the World, while according to the AP, "the Murdochs will try to avoid incriminating themselves or doing more harm to their business without misleading Parliament, which is a crime."
Murdoch, 80, has business interests that stretch around the globe, from his major media holdings in Australia and Asia to his ownership of key publications in the U.S. and the U.K. Murdoch gave up his bid for Britain's British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) last week amid criticism from lawmakers — including British prime minister David Cameron, over the alleged phone hacking.
James Murdoch, according to the Guardian:
will face a make-or-break examination of his professional reputation in which he will have to explain why he authorized payments to cover up illegal phone hacking by the News of the World.
Brooks, who resigned Friday as News International's chief executive, was arrested Sunday and released on bail 12 hours later. She is seen as having brought the British police investigations into phone hacking into the media baron's inner circle.
The prime minister, meanwhile, cut short a trade trip to Africa to fly home.
Cameron and Brooks had been friends and neighbors, who were photographed going riding together and who socialized at Brooks’ Oxfordshire home over the Christmas period.
Cameron has also been criticized for his decision to employ News of the World editor, Andy Coulson, as his media chief until January, Bloomberg reports. Coulson was also arrested earlier this month over hacking.
Stephenson, the police commissioner, resigned Sunday following the revelation last week that he had hired a former editor of the News of the World, Neil Wallis, as a public relations consultant.
Wallis, who was Coulson's deputy at the News of the World when phone hacking was rife and who then replaced him when Coulson resigned over the affair, has been arrested for "conspiring to intercept communications."
Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who quit his post Monday, was also due to face questioning by lawmakers Tuesday. Yates ruled two years ago that there was no reason to pursue an investigation into phone hacking by journalists. He has since called his decision "crap," the Guardian reports.
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