London police to Investigate Murdoch newspaper phone-hacking allegations

London’s Metropolitan Police will examine new evidence of phone-hacking by journalists at Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World newspaper detailed in a report in the New York Times. Assistant Commissioner John Yates said officers will work with the Crown Prosecution Service to review the evidence. They include a statement by a former reporter that the newspaper’s former editor, Andy Coulson, now Prime Minister David Cameron’s communications chief, asked him to tap phones. Coulson has said he didn’t know hacking was taking place.
“We’ve been in touch with the New York Times for many months seeking any new evidence or material they have,” Yates said.“They’ve now published this, it is new and we will be considering it.”
This is the second time police and prosecutors have reviewed the case following media reports. In July 2009, the Guardian newspaper reported that News Group Newspapers, part of Murdoch’s News Corp., paid 700,000 pounds ($1.08 million) to a victim of phone tapping at the News of the World.