Phone hacking: UK police arrest former News of the World editor

Phone hacking: UK police arrest former News of the World editor

2011-08-10 21:59:04 GMT+7 (ICT)

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- British police on Wednesday arrested a twelfth person in relation to alleged phone hacking at the now-defunct News of the World, officials said. It is believed to be former editor Greg Miskiw.

A Scotland Yard spokesperson said officers from the Metropolitan Police's Operation Weeting team made the arrest by appointment at a London police station on Wednesday afternoon. He was arrested on suspicion of unlawful interception of communications and on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications.

Police only identified the suspect as a 61-year-old man, but it is understood the man arrested is former News of the World editor Greg Miskiw. "The Operation Weeting team is conducting the new investigation into phone hacking. It would be inappropriate to discuss any further details regarding these cases at this time," a police spokesperson said.

Miskiw was a newsdesk executive at the News of the World until he left the tabloid newspaper in 2005. He currently lives in the Delray Beach area of Florida but voluntarily returned to the United Kingdom on Wednesday to talk with police.

The 'Operation Weeting' team was formed in February to investigate phone hacking at the News of the World tabloid newspaper and to inform victims and potential victims. The paper, accused of hacking the phones of celebrities, politicians, and even victims of crime, was closed last month after the scope of the scandal became clear, ending the tabloid's 168 years in print.

Including Wednesday's arrest, a total of thirteen arrests involving twelve people have been made in connection with phone hacking and resulting inappropriate payments to police officers. One person, former News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman, was arrested twice.

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