Murdochs to face MPs over hacking

In a U-turn, press baron and son say they will appear before parliamentary panel

They will appear along with Rebekah Brooks, the chief executive of the company’s beleaguered British newspaper group.

Earlier in the day, the Murdochs had sent letters to the panel refusing an invitation to appear.

The panel responded by increasing its pressure on the two Murdochs, issuing summons to appear before the Commons Culture Select Committee, which “has made clear its view that all three should appear to account for the behaviour of News International and for previous statements made to the committee in Parliament, now acknowledged to be false.”

It was unclear how the Parliamentary committee members could have enforced their order since both Rupert and James Murdoch are American citizens. Brooks is British and said in a separate letter released by the committee to the Press Association news agency that, while she would appear before the panel next Tuesday, she might not be able to answer detailed questions.

The moves in Parliament coincided with an announcement by Scotland Yard that officers had arrested Neil Wallis, 60, a former editor of The News of the World, the tabloid at the heart of the phone hacking scandal.

The crisis for Rupert Murdoch erupted early last week with news reports that The News of the World ordered the hacking of the voice mail of Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old who had been abducted and was later found murdered. The Murdoch family ordered the closing of the 168-year-old Sunday newspaper last weekend.

Rupert Murdoch said early Thursday he was prepared to appear before a separate inquiry, led by a judge, that was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday. “Having done this, I would be happy to discuss with you how best to give evidence to your committee,” Murdoch said in a letter released by the committee.

By agreeing to testify, the Murdochs avoided possible parliamentary repercussions. Sir George Young, the leader of the House of Commons, said lawmakers could impose penalties — including imprisonment — if it ruled that people summoned to appear were deemed to be in contempt of Parliament. But such measures had “not been used for some time,” he said.