DUBAI: News Corp's major shareholder and Saudi billionaire Prince AlWaleed bin Talal is believed to have played a key role in the resignation of Rebekah Brooks, the head of Rupert Murdoch's media empire in Britain over the phone-hacking scandal involving the group's newspapers.

Brooks' resignation came apparently after Prince AlWaleed, who is the second largest shareholder in News Corp, said that she "had to go" if her role was confirmed in the scandal.

Brooks, the CEO of News International, resigned yesterday after sustained public criticism over the scandal for using dubious news-gathering practices, including hacking the phone of murdered teenager Milly Dowler.

Prince AlWaleed, who has a 7 percent voting stake in News Corp, told BBC's Newsnight programme on Thursday that "The indications are for her involvement in this matter is explicit then for sure she has to go, you bet she has to go."

"Ethics to me is very important, definitely. I will not tolerate to deal with a company that has a lady or a man that has any sliver of doubt on her or his integrity," he said.

On the inquiry being conducted in the case he said, "We hope as this unfolds that the truth will come out."

"The facts will come out imminently. It is very important to me," he said.

However, the prince added that from his dealings with the Murdochs, he found it 'almost impossible' for them to have known about the goings-on at the now-closed News of the World tabloid newspaper in the UK.

He also asserted that News Corp's bid for buying control of British Sky Broadcasting Group "is shelved, it is not dead."

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