Police officer and journalists arrested in Op Elveden probe

Sarah Shaffi Wednesday, September 19, 2012
8:35 AM

A police officer and three journalists have been arrested this morning as part of an investigation into inappropriate payments to police and public officials.

The trio were all arrested at around 6am as part of Operation Elveden.

A 39-year-old serving police officer with Wiltshire Police was arrested at his home in Wiltshire on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, contrary to common law and suspicion of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office contrary to the Criminal Law Act 1977.

He will be interviewed at a south-west London police station.

A 32-year-old journalist was arrested at his home address in south-east London and will be interviewed at a south London police station.

A 51-year-old journalist was arrested at his home address in Bristol and will be interviewed at an Avon and Somerset police station.

Both journalists were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to corrupt and conspiracy to cause misconduct in a public office, both offences contrary to the Criminal Law Act 1977.

Operation Elveden is the investigation into allegations of inappropriate payments to police and public officials. It is being supervised by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and is running in conjunction with Operation Weeting, the Met Police’s inquiry into the phone-hacking of voicemail boxes.

Scotland Yard said today’s arrests were the result of information provided to police by News Corporation’s management standards committee and relate to suspected payments to a public official and suspected disclosure of confidential information by a police officer.