According to a report from BBC News, the company which owns News of the World is to admit liability for the recent phone hacking scandal in which two employees were arrested.
News International has released a statement on the matter, which reads:
“Past behaviour at the News of the World in relation to voicemail interception is a matter of genuine regret.
“It is now apparent that our previous inquiries failed to uncover important evidence and we acknowledge our actions were not sufficiently robust.”
The corporation is also expected to offer an “unreserved apology” to some victims.
Admitting liability for even a small number of cases in the alleged phone hacking scandal could mean that News International will have to rely on its professional indemnity insurance (which generally covers errors, negligence and similar issues) to pay out a predicted £20 million or more in costs, compensation and damages.
The News of the World has already paid out £700,000 in compensation to Gordon Taylor, the head of the Professional Footballers’ Association, who it is claimed also had his voicemail messages hacked by reporters.
As well as stating that it will continue to cooperate with police on the matter, News International also said that it has set up a compensation fund for claims.