The U.K.’s Department of Media, Culture and Sport Committee is summoning Rupert Murdoch of News Corp. to give evidence on the widening News International phone hacking scandal.
British MP Louise Mensch tweeted Tuesday that “The DCMS Select Committee will be summoning Rupert and James Murdoch, and Rebekah Brooks to appear before us re: prior Cttee evidence.”
Brooks is chief executive for News International, the branch of News Corp. in charge of Murdoch’s print holdings in the U.K.
The Guardian reports that a spokesperson for News International said that Murdoch et al will appear. “We have been made aware of the request from the CMS committee to interview senior executives and will co-operate,” the spokesperson said. “We await the formal invitation.”
The summons relates to allegations that employees or associates of News International’s now-defunct News Of The World tabloid hacked into the phones of as many as 4,000 people, including those of murder victims and terrorism victims. Two other News International publications are accused of targeting the phone, bank, and medical records of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown for a period of ten years.
Brown accused News International Tuesday of employing “known criminals” to acquire information about him. “I’m shocked, I’m genuinely shocked, to find that this happened because of their links with criminals, known criminals, who were undertaking this activity, hired by investigators working with the Sunday Times,” he said.
The Home Affairs Select Committee is holding hearings on Tuesday over why the Metropolitan Police limited its investigation into the phone hacking allegations when they first came to light in 2006. The New York Times reported on Monday that as many as five senior police officers may have had their phones hacked during the time of the investigation. The hearings will also focus on whether Scotland Yard scuttled the investigations out of fear of reprisals from the tabloid.
Scotland Yard is now also investigating whether News Of The World bribed police officers for information.
British authorities say there will be more arrests in the coming weeks.
Late Update: The BBC reports that Rupert and James Murdoch, as well as Brooks, are expected to appear before the committee next Tuesday.
