Scotland Yard Investigates Email Deletions in Phone-Hacking Scandal

Scotland Yard Launches Inquiry into Email Deletions Linked to Phone-Hacking Scandal

Scotland Yard has initiated a preliminary inquiry concerning the deletion of tens of millions of emails during the infamous British phone-hacking scandal that severely impacted Rupert Murdoch’s media empire over a decade ago. This latest development could potentially implicate both current and former executives from News Corp, including the chief executive of The Washington Post, in an investigation aimed at determining whether these deletions were conducted to obstruct justice.

The resurgence of this inquiry threatens to reopen a tumultuous chapter in the history of British news media and politics. For several years, journalists and private investigators garnered sensational stories by covertly accessing the voicemail, phone, and bank records of numerous high-profile individuals, including celebrities, business leaders, and politicians.

The scandal resulted in the closure of Murdoch’s popular tabloid, News of the World, and triggered a series of criminal charges alongside years of civil lawsuits. Many victims of the hacking have long contended that Murdoch’s British company, News UK, improperly deleted emails in an effort to mitigate the repercussions of the scandal. The company, however, strongly refutes these allegations.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who was himself a target of hacking and other intrusive reporting methods, has called for a renewed investigation this year. He points to civil litigation initiated by Prince Harry and other victims of phone hacking that has revealed new evidence regarding the destruction of approximately 30 million company emails.

A protester donned a mask depicting James Murdoch during a demonstration outside a London court in April 2012, highlighting the ongoing public interest and concern surrounding the scandal.