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HP To Decide on Chairwoman`s Future

Officials of Hewlett-Packard Inc. (HP) still have not decided whether the company`s chairwoman, Patricia C. Dunn, will be asked to step down in light of recent developments regarding her role in a probe into the possible illegal means by which the phone records of company directors and journalists were obtained. Ms. Dunn had previously given an order to investigate the source of leaks from the Hewlett-Packard board to the news media.

The company released a statement on Monday saying that it will continue discussing the matter further, but would not elaborate. Thomas J. Perkins, a venture capitalist who resigned from the Hewlett-Packard board because of the probe, released a statement asking for Dunn`s resignation to serve the company`s best interests. "I think the past months and days have shown that those interests are best served if Ms. Dunn would resign from the board," the statement said.

The California state Attorney General`s office is probing the details of the case for possible criminal charges. Dunn has said she has no intention of resigning but, as "a servant of the board," will concur with the board`s decision if asked to do so. Investigators working on the HP are said to have obtained by questionable means in a manner called pretexting, by pretending to be someone else to gain access to certain data.