Following news of 36 37 new phone-hacking settlements by News International today – former News of the World chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck has predicted more high-profile arrests at the publisher.
So far 17 individuals have been arrested in connection with the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.
Writing on his blog, Thurlbeck says today:
The most damaging allegation to emerge against News International today was that its directors took part in an orchestrated cover-up of criminal wrong-doing and sought to destroy incriminating evidence.
News International aren’t even bothering to contest this claim by the lawyers of phone hacking victims, which tells us a lot.
The senior executives stand accused of, “deliberately deceiving investigators and destroying evidence”.
If this is the case, we can expect some more very high profile arrests.
Suggesting that News International has now been permanently damaged by the hacking scandal, he says:
News International is like a perfectly formed porcelain cup which has shattered into pieces. In a few years time, it may come back from the invisible menders looking shiny and new. But no one will ever truly feel confident when they sup from it again.
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