Phone hacking: Les Hinton accuses MPs of ‘misreading evidence’

LES Hinton, the former News International boss, has criticised a report by MPs on the phone-hacking scandal, accusing them of “misreading” evidence.

The House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee report accused Mr Hinton of “selective amnesia” during his evidence to its investigation into phone hacking.

The report, published on May 1, claimed he misled Parliament and was “complicit” in a cover-up of the true extent of phone hacking at the News of the World, which was initially blamed on a single rogue reporter.

Mr Hinton took issue with the findings in a statement issued on the day the report was published.

Today he released a more detailed response, which he has sent to the committee’s chairman John Whittingdale.

In it, he says of the committee’s findings: “They are based on a misreading of evidence, and on a selective and misleading analysis of my testimonies to your committee.”

He goes on to claim that the report’s conclusions “rest on a highly selective reading of the record, and unsupportable leaps in logic and inference”.

And he insists “there is nothing credible ... to suggest that I was anything but candid with the committee”.

The report concluded that Rupert Murdoch’s News International had misled the hacking inquiry in a “blatant fashion”.

Opposition MPs on the committee also branded the media mogul as unfit to be in charge of a major media firm, although Tory members refused to support this.