Vodafone moves to quiet rift rumours

MOBILE phone giant Vodafone has tried to draw a line under rumours of a boardroom rift after its chairman released a statement backing the group’s chief executive.

Speculation was rife in the Sunday papers that chairman Lord MacLaurin had been trying to oust chief executive Arun Sarin after disappointing announcements by the company.

It was claimed Lord MacLaurin had tried to force a vote of no confidence in the Vodafone boss, while there was speculation he would use a key meeting with the group’s largest investors today to gauge support for the chief executive.