South-east London Sun journalist arrested on suspicion of payments to public officials (From News Shopper)

South-east London Sun journalist arrested on suspicion of payments to public officials

10:19am Wednesday 19th September 2012 in News By George Sargent

A SOUTH-EAST London journalist, 32, has been arrested in connection with allegations of inappropriate payments to public officials.

News International has confirmed the man is an employee of the Sun newspaper, but did not give any more details.

The arrest was made at around 6am this morning (September 19) at the journalist’s home address.

An interview will take place at a south-east London police station, the Met Police have confirmed.

It is part of Operation Elveden, a police investigation into allegations of inappropriate payments to public officials by journalists.

The investigation is running in conjunction with Operation Weeting, the inquiry into the phone hacking of voicemail boxes.

Two other people have also been arrested this morning, at the same time, as part of Operation Elveden.

A 51-year-old man, also a journalist at the Sun, was arrested at his home address in Bristol in connection with inappropriate payments to public officials.

He will be interviewed at an Avon and Somerset police station. A 39-year-old man was arrested at his home in Wiltshire.

He is a serving officer in Wiltshire Police and is being held on suspicion of misconduct in a public office.

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

The arrests bring the number of people arrested in Operation Elveden to 50.

A Met Police spokesman said: "Today's arrests are the result of information provided to police by News Corporation's management standards committee.

"They relate to suspected payments to a public official and suspected disclosure of confidential information by a police officer and are not about seeking journalists to reveal confidential sources in relation to information that has been obtained legitimately."