Rupert Murdoch To Be Interviewed By Scotland Yard In Hacking Case

From the Daily News:

Scotland Yard detectives plan to interview media mogul Rupert Murdoch about a phone-hacking scandal that led to one of his former top honchos being convicted Tuesday on criminal charges.

Detectives have informed the 83-year-old Murdoch he’ll be grilled “under caution” — a warning given to suspects, according to The Guardian.

The interview is expected to take place in Britain in the near future and could include questions for Murdoch’s son, James, who was executive chairman of News International, the British newspaper reported.

Tuesday’s conviction of Andy Coulson — the disgraced ex-editor of News of the World and one-time flack for Prime Minister David Cameron — could leave Murdoch’s company vulnerable to corporate charges.

Murdoch could wind up being prosecuted under section 79 of Britain’s Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, which holds company directors liable if evidence shows they consented or connived with the wrongdoings of employees.

Company heads can also be prosecuted for violating the act if investigators determine their negligence resulted in the misdeeds of workers.

At least 11 more trials are slated involving 20 other former journalists for News of the World and The Sun, British tabloids owned by Murdoch’s company.

Murdoch also faces a number of civil suits filed by victims whose phones were hacked. His company has already agreed to pay damages to 718 victims.

Scotland Yard detectives had planned to interview Murdoch earlier in the investigation, but a deal was struck to grill him after the trial of Coulson and other officials of News International, now called News UK.

In September, Murdoch’s former right-hand man Les Hinton was interviewed by detectives “under caution” for three hours about the phone hacking scandal

A London jury convicted Coulson of conspiring to intercept communications by eavesdropping on mobile phone voicemails. But the panel acquitted Rebekah Brooks, the former News International chief executive, of the same charge, plus bribery and preventing the course of justice.

During the eight-month trial, it was revealed that Brooks and Coulson, both 46, engaged in an extramarital affair while working at the now-defunct News of the World.

“We said long ago, and repeat today, that wrongdoing occurred, and we apologized for it,” Murdoch’s company said in a statement Tuesday.

Too bad Brooks got off in the case.

Spending some time in the big house would have knocked that smirk off her face.

Still, at least Coulson gets prison time and Rupert's got to face the cops and News Corp still has liability in the case.