Hi °C | Lo °C A defiant Rupert Murdoch has said that he will challenge the "total lies" issued about his News Corporation media empire in the phone hacking scandal when he appears before MPs next week.
The 80-year-old media mogul earlier bowed to pressure and agreed to give evidence to the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday, having previously said he was unavailable to attend.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, which is owned by News Corp, he said he wanted to address "some of the things that have been said in Parliament, some of which are total lies".
He added: "We think it's important to absolutely establish our integrity in the eyes of the public... I felt that it's best just to be as transparent as possible."
Despite the massive outcry over the allegations centring on the now defunct News of the World, Mr Murdoch insisted that the damage to his company was "nothing that will not be recovered".
The head of the House of Commons committee, John Whittingdale, who will lead Tuesday's historic examination of Mr Murdoch and his son James, said he would try to ensure the family of Milly Dowler and other victims could be present.
Mr Murdoch will be asked by MPs to apologise for the first time on behalf of his company.
Initially just Rebekah Brooks, the embattled chief executive of News International, agreed to appear, as James Murdoch said he could not make that date while his father simply said he was unavailable.
Factfile
Imprisonment is among the theoretical sanctions facing people who refuse to comply with a summons to appear before a House of Commons select committee. If there were two empty chairs where the Murdochs should be sitting next Tuesday, the committee chairman, John Whittingdale, would report them for contempt to Commons Speaker, John Bercow. It would then be considered by the Committee on Standards and Privileges.
