Police arrest five at Murdoch's Sun

AFP - British police on Saturday arrested five people at The Sun newspaper, its parent company News Corporation said, as part of an investigation into illegal news gathering that forced the closure of another of the firm’s British tabloids.

Media sources said a police officer and defence ministry employee were among eight people arrested in total on Saturday, in a branch of the inquiry named Operation Elveden which is investigating bribes to police in return for story tip-offs.

“Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers from Operation Elveden today arrested five employees of The Sun newspaper. Searches have taken place at the homes and offices of those arrested,” News Corporation said in a statement.

Last month, police arrested four current and former staff at Rupert Murdoch’s best-selling Sun tabloid plus a policeman as they focused on suspected payments by journalists to officers.

A phone hacking scandal at News Corp’s News of the World newspaper prompted the publication’s closure last year. The company has since set up a Management and Standards Committee as part of a drive to repair the firm’s reputational damage.

News Corp said the committee had provided police with the information that led to Saturday’s arrests.

“All five were arrested on suspicion of corruption ... aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office .... and conspiracy in relation to both these offences,” police said in a statement.

“It relates to suspected payments to police officers and public officials.”