Hackings, Lies & Shaving Foam

By Manuwant Choudhary

As a News of the World editor would say the story doesn't have enough sex, I would say the the questioning of Media Moghul Rupert Murdoch and James Murdoch were drab and contrived at best.

The only statement of Mr. Murdoch senior worth it was when he said he had been betrayed by those whom he trusted and they in turn had been betrayed by those whom they trusted.

It runs deeper.

But he also said categorically that it is wrong to hack phones of ordinary people who are victims and also that it is wrong to pay money to the police for a story.

It is understandable that a founder of an empire cannot keep track of 55,000 employees but it is still his job to take action against those found guilty.

Instead, Mr. James Murdoch went to lengths to explain why they paid compensation and legal aid money to someone guilty and convicted of hackings. He said it was as per `outside legal advice' and huge sums were paid because the corporation would lose the legthy case for illegal dismissal of the employee.

The Murdochs it seemed knew about their employees only when outside agencies like the police and courts found some evidence. They never found anything themselves.

When it came to giving names of people who let them down they again said nothing and took the alibi that they would not like to prejudice an ongoing police investigations into the charges.

The rot runs deeper.

In fact Rebecca Brooks openly admits having hired private investigators and said it was a common `practice' at Fleet Street,but again she feigned ignorance about those private investigators already convicted.

The impression she gave was that at the News Of The World no one was really in-charge.

In all this, I watched a lady sitting behind Mr. Rupert Murdoch. A mauve sweater, silky hair and a black skirt , Wendi Deng is Mr. Murdoch's wife.

And she sat gracefully and intelligently listening in without distracting. Sometimes she played with her fingers until there were shouts and we saw her leap and hit the man who attacked Mr. Murdoch with shaving foam. It was British commedian Jonnie Marbles.

Wish the Murdoch's employed only people as beautiful and trusted as Wendi Deng.

And its a shame on the British parliament that anyone could enter a highly secure zone...when you question someone for propriety you must first have your own house in order.