James Murdoch, the deputy chief operating officer of News Corporation was "kept in the dark" about the extent of illegal phone hacking at the News of the World, according to the paper's former chief reporter
Neville Thurlbeck, who was fired in September after being arrested by police probing the scandal, wrote in the UK Press Gazette that executives at the newspaper withheld vital information from Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive officer of the newspaper.
"James Murdoch should have the benefit of the doubt," he said.
James Murdoch told a parliamentary enquiry last July that News of the World executives hadn't told him phone hacking went beyond a single rogue reporter. He was called back last week to explain why his version of events contradicted accounts given by Colin Myler, the now-defunct newspaper's former editor, and Tom Crone, its lawyer.
Neville Thurlbeck has been a central figure in the phone-hacking scandal since the discovery of the "for Neville" e-mail that indicated the practice went beyond a single rogue reporter. Mr Myler and Mr Crone claim they discussed the e-mail with Mr Murdoch as far back as June 2008.
Mr Thurlbeck said he had evidence that proved he wasn't involved in phone hacking and that he believed Mr Murdoch was never informed about the e-mail. Mr Thurlbeck also wrote that he had recorded evidence that an unnamed executive was responsible for hacking, and that Mr Crone had refused to take the tape.
Other attempts to pass on the evidence were blocked by executives at the paper, he said. Daisy Dunlop, a spokeswoman for News Corporation's UK unit, declined to comment on Mr Thurlbeck's article.
The reporter is suing News Corporation for unfair dismissal. The company has said it will contest the case. Mr Crone didn't answer the door at his home in London today. Attempts to reach Mr Myler were unsuccessful.
Mr Thurlbeck said he gave MP Tom Watson "a heap of information" showing how "Murdoch had been kept in the dark."
While Mr Murdoch was accused of "willful blindness" last week, he had in fact "been given nothing to see," he said.