LONDON: Media baron Rupert Murdoch arrived at Britain's press ethics inquiry on Wednesday primed to heap pressure on the government after revelations that left a minister fighting for his job.
His appearance came a day after dramatic evidence from Murdoch's son James showed that culture minister Jeremy Hunt's office leaked information to Murdoch's News Corp. about its bid for full control of pay-TV giant BSkyB.
As Murdoch headed for the Leveson Inquiry at London's Royal Courts of Justice accompanied by his Chinese-born wife Wendi, British headlines described the fast changing events as the "Revenge of the Murdochs".
Hunt, who is lead minister for the Olympic Games which open on July 27, faced calls to resign as he was charged with the decision on whether the takeover should be allowed to go ahead.
The bid was dropped in July 2011 amid a scandal over phone-hacking at Murdoch's News of the World, which led to the closure of the tabloid and sparked the creation of the Leveson Inquiry.
Speaking to reporters as he left his house early Wednesday, Hunt said he had behaved "scrupulously fairly" over the deal and had asked for his own appearance at the inquiry to be brought forward so he could clear his name.
"I am going to be making a very, very determined effort to show that I behaved with total integrity," he said.
A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron insisted Hunt had the government's support, but the premier was expected to face a grilling over the revelations at Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions session in parliament.
British media suggested Rupert Murdoch could use his appearance to further twist the knife into a government which he believes made him a scapegoat during the scandal that dominated last summer's headlines.
It will be his highest profile appearance in Britain since he testified before a parliamentary committee last year, and said that he had meetings with Cameron and former premiers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. (AFP)