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Subscribe to RSSFormer chief executive of News International, Rebekah Brooks, has been arrested for a second time by police investigating allegations of illegal phone hacking. ITN's Neil Connery reports.
LONDON -- Former News Corp chief executive and News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charlie Brooks, a close friend of British Prime Minister David Cameron, were arrested Tuesday in a wide-ranging investigation into phone hacking in the British media, NBC News reported.
A total of six people were arrested in the early morning on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, British police said in a statement. The charge is an indication that investigators may be focusing on a possible attempted coverup of the scope of phone hacking.
The Metropolitan Police said five men and a woman were arrested in various locations in London and surrounding countryside in a series of raids conducted between 5 a.m. (1 a.m. ET) and 7 a.m. (3 a.m. ET) Tuesday. Police said searches of the premises are ongoing.
The investigation stems from widespread wrongdoing at Rupert Murdoch's now-closed News of the World tabloid. The victims have ranged from celebrities and major politicians to the families of crime victims.
Tabloid editor got free horse from UK police
Police, who did not release any names, said a 43-year-old woman was arrested at her home in Oxfordshire and she was being questioned by police there. Also arrested were a 49-year-old man in Oxfordshire, a 39-year-old man in Hampshire, a 46-year-old man in West London, a 38-year-old man in Hertforshire and a 48-year-old man in East London.
It emerged recently that Rebekah Brooks got a free horse from the U.K. police, and that this horse was subsequently ridden by Cameron. Police are also investigating allegations of illegal payments made by some British newspapers to police officers.
News Corp executive James Murdoch is back in front of British lawmakers to answer tough questions regarding his knowledge of a phone hacking scandal involving the News of the World tabloid.
Rebekah Brooks was previously arrested in July 2011 at her apartment block in an exclusive area of Chelsea, West London, on suspicion of phone hacking and corruption.
Her husband Charlie, a former race horse trainer, reportedly tried to reclaim a computer, paperwork and a phone from a trash can outside the apartment block, saying they were his. But detectives removed the items for investigation, NBC reported.
According to a count by the BBC, the total number of arrests made in the Operation Weeting phone-hacking inquiry is 45.
Cash settlements
A judge-led inquiry into media ethics has heard extensive testimony about wrongdoing by tabloid journalists, and Murdoch's company has reached cash settlements with a number of victims.
There is also a simultaneous investigation into corrupt relations between the police and the press which has yielded a number of arrests in recent weeks.
James Murdoch insists he didn't mislead British lawmakers
An inquiry panel appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron is trying to determine why an initial police investigation into phone hacking in 2006 failed to reveal the scope of the problem.
At the time, Murdoch's executives claimed the wrongdoing was limited to one scurrilous reporter and an unprincipled private detective, both of whom were jailed.
Journalist: CNN star Piers Morgan must have known about tabloid phone hacking
The dormant police investigation was reopened last year after reporters were found to have hacked into the voicemail of a missing schoolgirl who was later found to have been murdered.
That investigation led to the resignation of Cameron's top media adviser, Andy Coulson, who had been the editor of the News of the World. Like Rebekah Brooks, Coulson has denied wrongdoing.
NBC News Correspondent Jim Maceda shares details from the testimony.
Murdoch's company has reached cash settlements with various hacking victims, including actress Sienna Miller and singer Charlotte Church, but many new cases are being brought against News International, the U.K. newspaper branch of Murdoch's global media empire.
The scandal also scuttled Murdoch's plans to purchase full control of the British broadcaster BSkyB.
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NBC News correspondent Keir Simmons and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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"Ex-tabloid editor and friend of UK PM arrested in phone-hacking investigation"
Well those in power are usually well connected with eachother.
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I think Rupert Murdoch has proved to the World that he cannot operate his media empire responsibly without a leash!
Maybe so, but what will you say when someone decides there needs to be a leash on your favorite reading material?
I say that the UK inquiry should run it's course. You must be a fan of Faux News and their air and even handed treatment of wacky opinion.
The Murdoch empire should be forcibly disbanded. He violates all ethical imperatives and hacks, lies and smears. That is sleaze, not news.
Can't wait for the investigation to come stateside while we have a Democratic administration in place.If the baggers take over they'll just drop the case. Murdock and his son need to be jailed, their whole family's citizenship revoked and sent back to Austrailia after serving time at hard labor.
The inquiry ia a bit of a joke. There is no real need for further rules, there is a need though, for the current rules to be upheld.
I agree.........just hurry up arrest, leave alone, move on whatever it takes just end this circus.
Now to go after Rupert Murdoch and son...... these people need to be brought to justice.
The American people know just how far corporate masters will go to get in the governments head, whether it is the UK or America, Rupert Murdoch is only one example what wealth can buy!
Why are they bringing the British Prime minister into this? Are they preparing us for him not agreeing with Obama in their meetings today?
Multitude of reasons. The PM went to Eton with Charlie Brooks. And there's some inquiry surrounding a police horse that was lent to the Brooks and was ridden by the PM on visits.
Rupert and son...Can share a cell and proclaim that they didn't know what their underlings did.
Awww...the ginger got snapped. Poor baby.
the only reason these people are hacking phones is to see if anyone is talking about them. they are so important in their little world.
Systematic dismantling of Murdoch's retched business. Good job Britain.
You are completely misinformed. One single part of that empire has been shut down, the rest are maintaining the status quo.
Murdoch is an example of the quintessential "too big too fail" syndrome. The British are to be applauded for their dogged pursuit of this man.
But they aren't pursuing him... they are pursuing his son and the people below his son but Murdoch and the associated government officials are off the table. I would hardly call that applaudable.
You think the US press behaves that much differently? When was the last time you saw an inquiry into their conduct?
yes,well,, PM Cameron is in the US today, think this is a "coincidence" do you?.. really?? ha ha..one thing these public figures need to get a handle on is that they must be very selective!! re;"pals" ,ahem,..these pals? will take you down with them and so what, as long as they!! get theirs!!,..no??..Take this story global,, what do we see??..same deal, same "players"[for the most part] and same tactics,,, world wide...media and MEDIUM! is the most important tool for democracy this world has ever!! seen,, it behooves us to expose the crims involved, in detail and in situ!! and learn from that,,,methinks mr "ruprecht" is, well,, in trouble,, lets say,,,you are the CEO of any! "corperation" and your people committ crimes??, then you sir! madam! go in the hot seat, pronto!!,,, this aint! the old days, and the sooner these "Old boys" get that[they wont!!], the better for us all,,we said this some time ago and it is important enough to repeat[though I try not to do that at all!!],.."the old boys will not understand, and as such, they will be in the way of those who do"...hey,, sure enough,,, eh??, message for the PM,,, "try and pay attention pal, this is not some game we got going here".. looks like a duck? quacks like a duck? craps like a duck??, hey, thats a duck!!...geeeez,,,Quack Quack!!, ha ha
20 years to life
It seem the entire civilized world has been corrupted.
Nah...he's Australian.
Apologies to my friends "Down Under."
Thank freak ing god!!!!