Police quiz Brooks over hacking and bribery

BRITISH police investigating phone hacking and police bribery by the defunct tabloid News of the World arrested a 43-year-old woman yesterday who British media identified as Rebekah Brooks, Rupert Murdoch’s former British chief executive.

Police said the woman was arrested at a London police station at noon yesterday by appointment. She was being questioned on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications — phone hacking — and on suspicion of corruption — bribing police for information.

London police do not identify suspects until they are charged.

Police have arrested nine other people connected to Murdoch’s British media empire over allegations that the NOTW hacked into the voicemails of hundreds of celebrities, politicians, rival journalists and even murder victims. No one has yet been charged.

The latest arrest comes just two days before Brooks is due to answer questions from a parliamentary committee investigating the hacking. Rupert Murdoch and his son James are also due to give evidence. It was unclear to what extent she would be able to answer questions if she did appear.

Labour MP Chris Bryant, who led a recent House of Commons debate on phone hacking, questioned whether her arrest was a “ruse” ahead of the committee hearing.

Mr Bryant, a former member of the committee, said: “Personally I always thought that Rebekah Brooks should have been arrested in 2003 when she said she had paid police officers for information.”

Brooks was the newspaper’s editor between 2000 and 2003, when some of the hacking took place, but has always said she did not know hacking was going on, a claim greeted with scepticism by many of those who worked there.

At an appearance before lawmakers in 2003, she admitted News International had paid police for information. That admission of possible illegal activity went largely unchallenged and, at the time, little noticed.

The arrest piles more pressure on Prime Minister David Cameron, a friend and neighbour of Brooks who has met her many times and invited her to stay at his country retreat.

Meanwhile, Murdoch’s empire came under renewed attack as Britain’s opposition leader, Ed Miliband, called for laws to stop one man from owning such a big chunk of national media.

An ad in several British Sunday newspapers, titled “Putting right what’s gone wrong,” said News Corp would assist police investigations into phone hacking and police bribery. It vowed there would be “be no place to hide” for wrongdoers.

“It may take some time for us to rebuild trust and confidence, but we are determined to live up to the expectations of our readers, colleagues and partners,” the ad said.

That follows a full-page Murdoch ad in Saturday’s British papers declaring, “We are sorry.”

It’s all part of a campaign of contrition as Murdoch struggles to tame a scandal that has already destroyed one major British tabloid, cost the jobs of two of his senior executives and scuppered his dream of taking full control of BSkyB.

Labour Party leader Ed Miliband says Murdoch had “too much power” in Britain and his share of British media ownership should be reduced.

Now that NOTW is shut down, Murdoch owns three national British newspapers — The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times — and a 39% share of BSkyB.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg agreed there should be greater plurality in the media.

Clegg’s Liberal Democrat party has asked Britain’s broadcast regulator to consider whether News Corp. is a “fit and proper” owner of BSkyB.

There is more pressure ahead for 80-year-old Murdoch, who usually shuns the spotlight. Tomorrow afternoon he, his son James and Brooks face questioning by British lawmakers investigating the scandal.

Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative-led government is facing increasing questions about their close relationship with Murdoch’s media empire.

Cameron has held 26 meetings with Murdoch executives since he was elected in May 2010 and invited several to his country retreat.