A top British official insists he was simply being polite by greeting media tycoon Rupert Murdoch at the Olympic Aquatics Center after being criticism from opposition lawmakers.
Jeremy Hunt, responsible for both Britain's media and the Olympics, faced questions over his links to Murdoch's News Corp. when he gave evidence in May to the U.K's media ethics inquiry.
The minister acknowledged he had been too close, but denied showing any bias toward Murdoch as he ruled on the media mogul's planned takeover of a British television channel.
Hunt was filmed Friday warmly greeting Murdoch and chatting for several minutes.
''He came over to see me. He knows me, and when someone does that you shake their hand, you have to be courteous and polite,'' Hunt told BBC television on Sunday.
