International TV Co-Editor
Huw Edwards asked to repay £200,000 of BBC salary
The BBC board has asked Huw Edwards to repay the salary he was earning when he was arrested last November, amounting to around £200,000 ($254,000), saying he has "brought us into disrepute".
In a statement issued in the last few minutes, the council, chaired by Samir Shah, said: "Mr Edwards has pleaded guilty to an appalling crime. If he had been candid when asked by the BBC about his arrest, we would never have continued to pay him public money. He has clearly undermined confidence in the BBC and brought us into disrepute."
The BBC was recently forced to reveal that a small number of senior leaders, including director general Tim Davie, knew Edwards had been arrested in November last year on three charges of making indecent images of children. He was charged several months later and pleaded guilty last week. Davie subsequently said the BBC had not concealed evidence about him, but had chosen not to sack the former newsreader when it was informed of his arrest in November. "We knew it was serious, we didn't know the details, other than the category of offences," Davie said.
