The suspended CEO of Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy at the centre of a scandal over the use of Facebook data, has cancelled an appearance before British MPs, the chairman of a parliamentary committee says.
Alexander Nix had been due to testify on Wednesday (local time).
"His legal representation has said that he's now not able to give evidence to the committee tomorrow, as a consequence of him having been served an information notice, and being subject to a criminal investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office," Damian Collins, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said at a session of the committee.
"We do not accept Mr Nix's reason for not appearing in a public session before the Committee," he added in an emailed statement. "There is therefore no legal reason why Mr Nix cannot appear."
Collins said he was considering a formal summons for Mr Nix, and he hoped to provide an update on a date for a new hearing early next week.
"Alexander Nix had accepted the Committee's invitation to give further evidence," Cambridge Analytica tweeted. "We understand that the ICO has since asked that he assist with their enquiries and that this will unfortunately preclude him from speaking to the committee until the ICO investigation has finished."
Reuters
