Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of News Corporation, along with his son James Murdoch and others, testified before British parliament in London on Tuesday to clear up their involvement in a phone hacking scandal surrounding a 168-year-old tabloid UK newspaper that they own.
Testimonies
began with Sir Paul Stephenson who resigned on Sunday as commissioner of the
Scotland Yard. Then, former assistant commissioner John Yates spoke. He
resigned on Monday. Communications director for the police force, Dick Fedorcio,
gave a testimony, too.
Murdoch,
an 80-year-old American citizen, stated that he is not responsible for the
phone hacking but instead told the committee, "The people that I trusted to run
it (The News of the World), and then
maybe the people they trusted" are to blame.
According
to NBC news,
the parliament committee stated that they have been investigating the scandal
for the past four years but it only came to light within the past two weeks.
What
may have brought it to light was that The News of the World ordered the hacking of 13-year-old
Milly Dowler's voicemail while she was missing. Milly was later found murdered.
The scandal has resulted in ceased production of The News of the World newspaper, a $12 billion plan to overtake pay TV operator BSkyB and the arrest of eleven News of the World staff.
"I would like all the victims of phone hacking to know how completely and deeply sorry I am. Apologizing cannot take back what has happened. Still, I want them to know the depth of my regret for the horrible invasion into their lives," said Murdoch in a written statement read to the committee during his testimony.
Midway
into parliament questioning, Murdoch was attacked by protestor Jonnie
Marbles, as later discovered by Sky
News, with what
appeared to be a pan of white foam.
Murdoch's
wife, Wendi Deng, defended him by hitting the attacker in the head several
times.
Marbles,
a comedian and activist, was arrested soon after with the white substance
splattered on his face and checkered shirt.
Parliament
resumed 15 minutes after the disruption. Murdoch was unharmed.
Rebekah Brooks, former chief executive of News International and editor of The News of the World, testified after the Murdochs.
She resigned on Friday, July 15 and was arrested on Sunday for charges of "suspicion of intercepting communications and corruption."