[August 16, 2011] British phone-hacking scandal resurfaces with fresh allegations Tweet LONDON, Aug 16, 2011 (dpa - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Britain's phone-hacking scandal centering on the Murdoch media empire took a new twist Tuesday with the publication of documents that revealed alleged "contradictions" in the evidence given by James Murdoch to a parliamentary committee last month. Murdoch, 38, the son and heir of Australian media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, could as a result be recalled for a further hearing by the parliamentary panel, members of the committee for culture, media and sport said Tuesday. The new material, published by the committee, focuses on a letter written in 2007 by Clive Goodman, a former News of the World reporter, in which he alleges that the practice of phone-hacking was "widely discussed" at the tabloid under former editor, Andy Coulson. News International, the British arm of Murdoch's New York-based News Corporation, closed down the News of the World Sunday tabloid as a result of the scandal in July. Coulson, who proceeded to become the press spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010 -- a post from which he resigned in connection with the scandal earlier this year -- could be facing trial over the allegations after being questioned by police, and released on bail, last month. "This practice was widely discussed in the daily editorial conference, until explicit reference to it was banned by the editor," said Goodman in the letter. He also stated that he had been promised by Coulson and others that he could have his job back if he did not implicate anyone else when he was prosecuted by police for intercepting the messages of royal aides. Goodman was sentenced to four months in jail in early 2007 for intercepting mobile phone messages of British royal aides, including those working for Prince William. The letter in question was made available for publication by a law firm involved in the legal dispute between Goodman and his former employers. In his evidence to the committee in July, James Murdoch denied any knowledge of a 2008 e-mail which suggested the widespread use of phone-hacking. "When we have all that information and answers to the questions, I think that it would be likely that we will want to speak to James Murdoch again," Conservative parliamentarian John Whittingdale said Tuesday. News International, of which James Murdoch is chairman, said Tuesday: "We recognize the seriousness of materials disclosed...and are committed to working in a constructive and open way with all the relevant authorities." To see more of dpa, go to http://www.dpa.de/English.82.0.html Copyright (c) 2011, dpa, Berlin Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]