LONDON - RUPERT Murdoch's British tabloid newspapers have secretly paid one million pounds to settle cases involving allegations its journalists were involved in illegal phone tapping, a newspaper said on Wednesday.
ANDY Coulson, who quit as editor of the News of the World over the Goodman affair, said of the reported Mr Taylor pay-out: 'This story relates to an alleged payment made after I left the News of the World two and half years ago.
'I have no knowledge whatsoever of any settlement with Gordon Taylor.' Mr Coulson has since become head of communications for the main opposition Conservatives, who are widely tipped to win a general election that must be held by the middle of next year.
News Group newspapers allegedly paid the money in out-of-court settlements in three cases that involved hacking into the mobile messages of public figures to get stories, according to the Guardian newspaper on its website.
Reporters are said to have hired private investigators to obtain the information that also included accessing personal data such as tax records, social security files and bank statements.
Figures targeted by one investigator include model Elle MacPherson, former deputy prime minister John Prescott and celebrity publicist Max Clifford, the newspaper reported.
Clive Goodman, the royal editor of News Group tabloid the News of the World, was jailed for four months in 2007 for hacking into more than 600 messages on mobile phones of aides to the royal family, including from Prince William.
The Guardian quoted a senior source at London's Metropolitan Police as saying that during the Goodman inquiry, officers had found evidence of News Group staff using private eyes who hacked into 'thousands' of mobile phones.
In one of the three cases it settled, News Group reportedly paid out 700,000 pounds (S$1.6 million) in damages and legal costs to Gordon Taylor, the head of the Professional Footballers Association.
The Guardian said Mr Taylor sued the newspaper group after he was targeted by a private eye who hacked into his phone and those of other figures.
News Group settled with a condition that Mr Taylor sign a gagging clause to prevent him speaking about the case, the Guardian said.
The group's parent company, News International, the British subsidiary of Murdoch's global News Corporation, declined comment on the Guardian's report.
'News International feels it is inappropriate to comment at this time,' a statement issued to AFP said. -- AFP
