Peter McMullan, features editor of the now-defunct Murdoch-owned "News of the World" (and the man Hugh Grant caught red-handed admitting to phone hacking) testified before the Levinson inquiry yesterday and in what seems to have been an amazing display of contradictory impulses, challenged his former bosses Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson's repeated denials that they were aware of illegal activities at the paper, blasted them for using him as a scapegoat, while ALSO justifying the illegal invasion of privacy by reporters on the grounds that 'privacy is evil'.
While this testimony does not directly address Rupert & James Murdoch's knowledge of the phone hacking, it contributes to furthering the impression that the Murdochs foster a culture of corruption within their vast media empire (which includes FOX and The Wall Street Journal). ,
(hat tip to Brit, who has provided great ongoing coverage of this story)
As per The Guardian (here and Here)
Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson have been branded "the scum of journalism" in a series of allegations from a former News of the World deputy features editor at the UK inquiry into press standards.
Paul McMullan accused Coulson of introducing "wholesale" phone hacking when he appointed editor of the News of the World in 2003, and described Brooks as "the criminal-in-chief".
Some statements, IMHO, have the ring of truth:
McMullan says News International has been "cosying up" to prime ministers for 21 years from the moment Margaret Thatcher "tapped up Murdoch" and asked him to back her.
(McMullan) claims Cameron had a lot owing and alleges he turned a blind eye to illegal activities.
"He ends up with Murdoch lite – James – and Rebekah Brooks. For 21 years you have a culture of illegality of phone hacking and fiddling your expenses and so on. What you have is a future prime minister cosying up and being moulded by the arch-criminal, Rebekah Brooks, the criminal-in-chief."
Other statements are the kinds of half-assed rationalizations no doubt heard since the beginning of time when guilty people struggle to justify their wrong-doings:
In 21 years of invading people's privacy I've never actually come across anyone who's been doing any good. Privacy is the space bad people need to do bad things in.
Privacy is evil; it brings out the worst qualities in people.
Privacy is for paedos; fundamentally nobody else needs it.
I wonder how the British Police feel about this:
(McMullan) said it was difficult to say that he condoned the hacking (of the phone of missing girl Milly Dowler - later found dead) because the police force looking for her were full of "Inspector Clouseaus".
We were doing our best to find the little girl. The police are utterly incompetent and should be ashamed that the killer was allowed to carry on.
Read the links above for lots more astonishing testimony by McMullan, including bemoaning the passing of the 'good old days' of harassing Princess Dianna by chasing her around London.
It's truly unfortunate the US does not have a well-funded, influential, non-compromised mainstream media outlet similar to The Guardian - they have apparently been chipping away at the Murdoch media empire for years with their efforts culminating in the British Government feeling pressured into launching this current investigation.