Editor’s Note: For those of you following the phone hacking scandal that Planet Waves covered Friday, you’re familiar with the name and face of Rebekah Brooks. She was, until Friday, the head of the News International division of News Corp, the division that runs all of Murdoch’s newspaper properties in the UK.
She was also editor of News of the World at the time of the phone hacking, and is now obviously being arrested based on evidence that she either knew about the crimes or directly participated in them. When we see the (immediately, as in two days ago) former CEO of a major international corporation taken into custody for committing crimes against people, that is a sign of progress. Here is why Murdoch is shitting bricks right now: she might cut a deal with prosecutors. This article is today’s coverage from The Guardian in the UK. — efc
By Vikram Dodd , The Guardian.
Rebekah Brooks has been arrested by police investigating allegations of phone hacking by the News of the World and allegations that police officers were bribed to leak sensitive information.
The Metropolitan police said a 43-year-old woman was arrested at noon on Sunday, by appointment at a London police station.
Brooks, 43, resigned on Friday as News International‘s chief executive. She is a former News of the World editor and was close to Rupert Murdoch and the prime minister, David Cameron.
Brooks was due to give evidence before MPs on the culture select committee on Tuesday.
An arrest by appointment on a Sunday by police is unusual.
In a statement the Met said: “The MPS [Metropolitan police service] has this afternoon, Sunday 17 July, arrested a female in connection with allegations of corruption and phone hacking.
“At approximately 12.00 a 43-year-old woman was arrested by appointment at a London police station by officers from Operation Weeting [phone hacking investigation] together with officers from Operation Elveden [bribing of police officers investigation]. She is currently in custody.
“She was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications, contrary to Section1(1) Criminal Law Act 1977 and on suspicion of corruption allegations contrary to Section 1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906.