Sun journalist charged with bribery
2013-01-22 16:49
London - The defence editor of Rupert Murdoch-owned
tabloid The Sun and a former police officer have been charged in connection
with the bribing of public officials for information, British prosecutors said on
Tuesday.
The Crown Prosecution Service said journalist Virginia
Wheeler and Constable Paul Flattley were charged with conspiracy to commit
misconduct in a public office.
Prosecutors claim that Flattley was paid at least £6 450
between 2008 and 2011 for information on "accidents, incidents and crimes”.
Alison Levitt, legal advisor to the Director of Public
Prosecutions, said: "The information provided included information about
the tragic death of a 14-year-old girl, as well as details about both suspects
and victims of accidents, incidents and crimes."
She said some of the information was about "high
profile individuals and those associated with them”.
The bribery probe is running alongside investigations
into phone hacking and computer hacking sparked by revelations that reporters
at Murdoch's now-shuttered News of the World routinely intercepted voicemails
of those in the public eye.
Almost 100 people have been arrested and about 20 charged
over the scandal, including journalists, police officers, former Murdoch
executive Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, Prime Minister David Cameron's
former communications chief.
One person has been convicted - a senior detective found
guilty this month of trying to pass police information to the News of the
World.
- SAPA
