Rebekah Brooks questioned by Met Police in hacking probe

Thursday, March 22, 2012
7:15 AM

Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks was questioned by police about payments to Ministry of Defence officials.

She was asked yesterday about evidence handed over by News Corporation’s Management and Standards Committee as she answered bail over allegations of phone-hacking and corruption, sources said.

Scotland Yard confirmed a 43-year-old woman had been rebailed until May by officers from Operation Elveden, the inquiry into allegations of inappropriate payments.

Mrs Brooks’ spokesman refused to discuss details but a source close to the investigation said: “She was returning to answer bail in Milton Keynes this morning and was asked details about confidential sources for the Ministry of Defence. She was not asked about any other matters.”

Mrs Brooks’ relations with top police officers and politicians have been called into question after it emerged that she “fostered” a police horse when it retired from active service in 2008.

She paid food and vet bills until the animal, called Raisa, was rehoused with a police officer in 2010, months before fresh investigations began into illegal activities at the News of the World.

A total of 22 people have been arrested under Weeting, which has been running since January last year, Scotland Yard said.