Claims emerge that four attempts to seek permission to broadcast royal prank call were 'not disclosed' by suicide nurse
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who took her own life after receiving the prank call made by an Australian radio station is understood to have kept secret more phone calls from the radio network in the days before her suicide, according to reports.
DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian
An investigation by the Sunday Times claims that the network made four calls to the hospital seeking permission to air the prank.
The hospital previously claimed it had not been contacted for permission to air the calls.
"We can confirm that four follow up calls were made to seek permission to air the call within an hour of the (prank) being made,” a spokesman for 2DayFM said.
“Telstra has verified the calls coming from our Sydney studio and all being received at the same number in London.
"Because the calls were placed overseas, there was some debate about whether permission was needed. After the fourth call, we were advised internally we didn't need permission because (Saldanha) was not a resident of Australia.
"One of the calls was ended abruptly, but three others were long enough to have been a conversation. They were not made by the DJs, but members of the `Hot 30' show's production team.''
The Times reported that it was "highly likely the calls were answered by Jacintha and that she never disclosed these calls to another person before she hanged herself."
The inquest into the death of Jacintha Saldanha is scheduled for September 12 and 13.