The law firm Harbottle & Lewis claims that Rupert Murdoch was “confused” when he gave evidence to British MPs about legal advice given by them after the News of the World (NOTW) dismissed its “rogue reporter” at the start of the phone hacking saga.
Murdoch said the firm made a “major mistake” underestimating the scope of the problem during a brief investigation for News International's British division. Harbottle has rebuked this claim saying that this advice - given years earlier - had been misused out of context by a “self-serving” company that claimed it gave them a “clean bill of health” at the time.
The firm says that claim was “inaccurate and misleading” as they were only able to look at emails provided by News International for any “reasonable evidence” former News of the World editor Andy Coulson knew of phone hacking by Clive Goodman – former reporter jailed in 2007.
Two paralegals and a trainee solicitor worked on the investigation for 46 hours looking for such evidence and found none. The firm charged News about 10,000 pounds for limited advice.
The firm refused to say it found nothing “directly relevant” to Goodman's appeal from his sacking because their investigation was limited - they didn't talk to witnesses, nor did they have access to other documents.
This revelation has raised new questions over the scale of the problem at the tabloid.
The firm released a scathing letter and this, among other documents revealed by a House of Commons select committee, has cast serious doubts on the company's open account of the scandal.
A four-year-old letter written by Goodman was also revealed by the law firm which revealed hacking was widely discussed at the tabloid and conducted with “the full knowledge and support” of senior management.
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