It stems from a secretly recorded meeting with staffers, which the police now want to review. Here’s why:
Murdoch told the journalists that the culture of paying police officers for stories “existed at every newspaper in Fleet Street. Long since forgotten. But absolutely”, and had existed long before Sun journalists had been arrested. Murdoch also criticised the “incompetent” police investigation that has led to the arrest of so many of his staff.
In one clip broadcast by Channel 4 News, a journalist asks Murdoch: “I’m pretty confident that the working practices that I’ve seen here are ones that I’ve inherited, rather than instigated. Would you recognise that all this predates many of our involvement here?” Murdoch replies: “We’re talking about payments for news tips from cops. That’s been going on a hundred years, absolutely. You didn’t instigate it.”
The possible charge against him personally? According to the Guardian: “conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office”. Extracts from the tape here.
The Dish 