Rebekah Brooks discussed plan to 'ring fence' her from phone-hacking scandal
 Old Bailey hears of email sent a week before she resigned outlining plan for review by lawyers and promotion of Will Lewis Rebekah Brooks discussed a survival plan which would see her "ring fenced" from the phone-hacking scandal just days before the News of the World closed and a week before she resigned, the Old Bailey has heard. Brooks discussed a detailed "Plan B" in an email to James Murdoch, her News International boss at the time, which would have involved her stepping down from a company governance board, the promotion of the then general manager Will Lewis and an announcement that outside lawyers would review "all previous investigations". She wrote: "We will not be on trial by the media". According to the email, sent on 8 July 2011, Plan B also included the possible launch of the "Sunday Sun" to replace the News of the World, which closed two days later. Part of the email had already been shown to jurors in the phone-hacking trial. In November the jury was told that Brooks, then News International chief executive, discussed launching an investigation into phone hacking with James Murdoch, the publishing company's chairman, which might save her job but might look bad for Les Hinton, Rupert Murdoch's then right-hand man in New York and former boss of News International. She discussed the prospect of an internal report which would "slam Les, Colin [Myler, former News of the World editor] then etc" and "vindicate" her position. The jury learned on Wednesday that she went on to propose an announcement to the public that News International's previous investigations into phone hacking allegations fell short. She suggested the statement should say: "Our internal investigations were woeful and limited and we failed to hold the right people accountable. "The result was the very sad closure of an outstanding newspaper whose reputation was irreparably tarnished by the actions of a few. We are committed to retaining as many jobs as possible." Under the plan, Lewis would be promoted to News International deputy chief executive; he would go on the Andrew Marr show on the BBC to face questions on the growing scandal and the company would would review all previous investigations. Brooks email continued: "Concurrently outside counsel Olswang will review all previous internal investigations and investigate every new allegation into the NotW over the last decade. (Includes my editorship) "We will not be on trial by the meda whose previous practices were... "NI will publish the findings of this report and where there were serious failings or errors of judgment those culpable will be held accountable and leave the company." Brooks suggested that until the report was published Lewis would take her place on the Times Newspapers Holdings Ltd governance board. The result would be "I am ring fenced clearly and properly", she wrote. "It will be written as slippery slope for me but I hardly have a reputation left," she added. She then moved to the subject of a Sunday edition of the Sun. "On another note if we don't launch the Sunday Sun this weekend but we relaunch the Saturday Sun." She said they should put beef up football, add a magazine and "go for the Mail". "Its the tabloid Sunday Times," she wrote. Brooks is facing five charges in the phone-hacking trial, all of which she denies. She is due to start her defence at 10am on Thursday morning. theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds |
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario