News Corp executive James Murdoch could face a police investigation into claims he gave ‘mistaken’ testimony to Britain's parliament this week.
Police today received a letter from Labour MP Tom Watson asking whether Mr Murdoch was involved in illegal efforts to cover up phone hacking.
Detectives investigating a hacking scandal centred on the Murdochs' now defunct News of the World tabloid were considering the letter, they said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, criticised for his close ties to senior figures at News Corp, said that Mr Murdoch had ‘clearly got questions to answer in parliament.’
However Mr Murdoch has said in a letter to he is standing by the evidence he gave on his knowledge of phone hacking at a House of Commons meeting earlier this week.
The issue hinges on a settlement paid to Professional Footballers' Association Chief Executive Gordon Taylor in 2008, worth a reported £700,000, after he brought a damages claim against the News of the World.
At the committee hearing, committee member Tom Watson asked James Murdoch: ‘When you signed off the Taylor payment, did you see or were you made aware of the full Neville e-mail, the transcript of the hacked voicemail messages?’
He replied: ‘No, I was not aware of that at the time.’
He went on to say: ‘There was every reason to settle the case, given the likelihood of losing the case and given the damages - we had received counsel - that would be levied.’
In a statement afterwards Colin Myler, who edited the News of the World, and News International’s legal adviser Tom Crone said:
‘Just by way of clarification relating to Tuesday's CMS Select Committee hearing, we would like to point out that James Murdoch's recollection of what he was told when agreeing to settle the Gordon Taylor litigation was mistaken.
‘In fact, we did inform him of the “for Neville” email which had been produced to us by Gordon Taylor's lawyers.’
Meanwhile, News International has confirmed that a member of staff was sacked yesterday in relation to his previous work at the News of the World.
In another development, former News of the World assistant editor Greg Miskiw said he was returning to the UK voluntarily from his current home in Palm Beach, Florida.
