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Rupert Murdoch secret tapes: News Corp defends head | Rupert Murdoch secret tapes: News Corp defends head |
(about 2 hours later) | |
News Corp has defended chief Rupert Murdoch after a secret recording was released of him criticising the police inquiry into alleged inappropriate payments to officials by journalists. | |
Speaking in March to a group of Sun journalists - many of whom are under investigation - he complains about "totally incompetent" police officers. | |
The recording was obtained by the Exaro website and aired on Channel 4 News. | |
News Corp said Mr Murdoch had shown "understandable empathy" with staff. | News Corp said Mr Murdoch had shown "understandable empathy" with staff. |
Allegations of phone hacking at the now-defunct News of the World thrust the newspaper's owners, News Corp, and its journalists directly into the spotlight. | Allegations of phone hacking at the now-defunct News of the World thrust the newspaper's owners, News Corp, and its journalists directly into the spotlight. |
A separate Scotland Yard investigation, named Operation Elveden, is looking into claims of inappropriate payments made to police and other public officials by journalists. | |
In the recording, Mr Murdoch is heard speaking about Operation Elveden. | |
"Still, I mean, it's a disgrace," the News Corp boss is heard saying in the tapes acquired by the Exaro investigative website and said to have been recorded at the Sun headquarters in Wapping, east London. | "Still, I mean, it's a disgrace," the News Corp boss is heard saying in the tapes acquired by the Exaro investigative website and said to have been recorded at the Sun headquarters in Wapping, east London. |
"Here we are, two years later, and the cops are totally incompetent. | "Here we are, two years later, and the cops are totally incompetent. |
'Total support' | 'Total support' |
"The idea that the cops then started coming after you, kick you out of bed, and your families, at six in the morning, is unbelievable. | "The idea that the cops then started coming after you, kick you out of bed, and your families, at six in the morning, is unbelievable. |
"But why are the police behaving in this way? It's the biggest inquiry ever, over next to nothing. | "But why are the police behaving in this way? It's the biggest inquiry ever, over next to nothing. |
"And now they're arresting their own, who never even took money... they're going to put all newspapers out of business." | "And now they're arresting their own, who never even took money... they're going to put all newspapers out of business." |
He also offered his backing to the journalists, even if they were found guilty. | He also offered his backing to the journalists, even if they were found guilty. |
"I will do everything in my power to give you total support, even if you're convicted and get six months or whatever," he said. | "I will do everything in my power to give you total support, even if you're convicted and get six months or whatever," he said. |
"You're all innocent until proven guilty." | "You're all innocent until proven guilty." |
A spokesman for News Corp told Channel 4 News: "No other company has done as much to identify what went wrong, compensate the victims and ensure the same mistakes do not happen again. | A spokesman for News Corp told Channel 4 News: "No other company has done as much to identify what went wrong, compensate the victims and ensure the same mistakes do not happen again. |
"The unprecedented co-operation granted by News Corp was agreed unanimously by senior management and the board, and the MSC [News Corp management and standards committee] continues to co-operate under the supervision of the courts. | "The unprecedented co-operation granted by News Corp was agreed unanimously by senior management and the board, and the MSC [News Corp management and standards committee] continues to co-operate under the supervision of the courts. |
"Rupert Murdoch has shown understandable empathy with the staff and families affected and will assume they are innocent until and unless proven guilty." | "Rupert Murdoch has shown understandable empathy with the staff and families affected and will assume they are innocent until and unless proven guilty." |