LONDON — James Murdoch, at the centre of the phone hacking scandal in his family’s British newspaper business, has resigned from the board of GlaxoSmithKline, the pharmaceuticals giant said on Friday.

Rupert Murdoch’s son has decided against seeking re-election as a non-executive director.

GSK stated there had been no pressure placed on Murdoch to stand down, saying that the decision was based on his decision to move to the United States in his new role with News Corp.

James Murdoch

Murdoch, 39, also recently left the boards of the publishing arm within News Corp’s British newspaper division.

GSK chairman Christopher Gent said: “James has taken this decision to focus on his current duties as non-executive chairman of BSkyB, and following his decision to re-locate to the United States, as chairman and chief executive, international, of News Corporation.”

James Murdoch has come under fire for his handling of the hacking affair last year that resulted in the closure of the News of the World tabloid after it emerged it had accessed the voicemail of a girl later found murdered.

At the height of the scandal, he came under pressure from some investors to step down from the boards of satellite broadcaster BSkyB and News Corporation but he held on to his posts.

James could come under further scrutiny over his handling of the hacking affair in the next few weeks when a British inquiry into media ethics publishes its report.

Murdoch will leave the GSK board following the annual general meeting on May 3.

AFP

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