London: A 47-year-old woman was arrested in the UK by detectives investigating phone hacking on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice, the Scotland Yard said today.
The woman is the 17th person to be arrested as part of Operation Weeting, the Metropolitan Police’s investigation into phone hacking and police bribery at the Rupert Murdoch-owned News of the World.
In deeper turmoil. Reuters
The woman was arrested on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice, the BBC reported.
She is currently in custody at an Essex police station.
The arrest is the first in Operation Weeting since private investigator Glenn Mulcaire’s in December. He was released on bail until March over allegations of phone hacking and perverting the course of justice.
The arrested woman is not a police officer.
The Met set up Operation Weeting to investigate the illegal hacking of the mobile phone voicemails of public figures by the now-defunct News of the World newspaper.
Those arrested so far include former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and ex-Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson.
Operation Weeting is running alongside Operation Elveden, the investigation into alleged police corruption.
Allegations of phone hacking and police payments led Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and Assistant Commissioner John Yates to resign, and the News of the World to close down after 168 years.
PTI