Rupert, James Murdoch to Testify Under Oath About Phone Hacking

Shortly after James Murdoch and his father Rupert testified before Parliament in July, two former News Corp. employees accused James, the head of the company's European and Asian operations, of misleading the MPs.

Whether or not Murdoch lied, deceit will not be an option the second time around. As part of Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into the phone hacking scandal and the practices of the media at large, both Murdochs will testify before him -- in court, under oath and on live television, the Telegraph reported.

Also Read: James Murdoch 'Mistaken' in Testimony, Say Former NOTW Editor and Lawyer

This is one of the inquiries UK prime minister David Cameron announced in response to the ever-deepening scandal, one that has sullied his name and that of many in his administration because their connections to the Murdochs and others employees of the media conglomerate. The intention of the inquiry is for Lord Justice Leveson to uncover new truths about the "practice and pressure of investigative journalism," the utility of press regulation and the role of a free press in society.

The Murdochs are set to testify in October, though Leveson has said the full inquiry will take at least a year. The details in the Telegraph suggest the appearance of News Corp.'s chairman and CEO and his son will resemble a trial despite it not actually being one.

Relevant parties will present evidence, witnesses will be called and the whole occasion will be public given Leveson's hope that it be televised.

Likely joining the Murdochs in testifying is a parade of now-familiar faces -- former News of the World editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, and maybe even Cameron, Coulson's former boss.

Scrutiny of Cameron has intensified in the past couple weeks because of reports that Coulson, who worked as his director of communications before resigning in January, was still on the News Corp. payroll while working for the government.

As News Corp.'s central figure prepares to answer questions from an external investigation, his own internal investigation has widened in scope, Reuters reported.

News International, the British publishing arm that oversaw the now-closed News of the World, has begun investigating reporting practices at all of its newspapers. The main focus of the inquiry is any evidence that NI employees violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a U.S. law that bans payments from a company to foreign public officials. 

The Department of Justice has been investigating any potential violations of the FCPA by News Corp., as well as a report that the phones of 9/11 victims were hacked.

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