Five top editors and reporters from the News Corp.-owned Sun newspaper were arrested in London on Saturday morning opening a new scandal at another flagship paper for the media conglomerate.
News International chief executive Tom Mockridge (pictured), who replaced disgraced executive Rebekah Brooks and is responsible for The Sun, announced the news in a memo to his staff.
"I am very saddened that a further five colleagues from The Sun have been arrested this morning by the Police," he wrote.
Read also: Rupert Murdoch, Sons, Re-Elected to News Corp.'s Board
Mockridge said that deputy editor Geoff Webster, picture editor John Edwards, chief reporter John Kay, chief foreign correspondent Nick Parker and deputy news editor John Sturgis had all been arrested in an investigation into payoffs to police and public officials.
They are being investigated on suspicion of corruption, aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office and conspiracy. They are being questioned at police stations in London and Kent. Police officers have also been arrested.
The news came as a shock to the newspaper staff and its executives, and comes in the wake of last year’s closure of News of the World in a phone hacking scandal.
But News Corp. announced in a statement that it had provided the information to police that led to the arrests.
In a statement, the company said that its Management and Standards Committee had provided information to the police investigators.
"News Corporation remains committed to ensuring that unacceptable news gathering practices by individuals in the past will not be repeated and last summer authorised the MSC to co-operate with the relevant authorities."
The Guardian reported that Murdoch was flying to London to deal with the scandal.
In his memo, Mockridge said that Murdoch was committed to keeping the paper open. "I have had a personal assurance today from Rupert Murdoch about his total commitment to continue to own and publish The Sun newspaper."
Two weeks ago four former and current Sun journalists as well as a London police officer were arrested over alleged illegal police payments.
Senior Sun employees Chris Pharo, 42, and Mike Sullivan, along with former executives Fergus Shanahan, 57, and Graham Dudman, were named by sources as suspects facing corruption allegations, according to the Guardian. All five were released on bail.
Here is the full memo from Mockridge:
Dear colleagues,
I am very saddened that a further five colleagues from The Sun have been arrested this morning by the Police. It has already been widely reported the individuals involved are Geoff Webster, John Edwards, John Kay, John Sturgis and Nick Parker.
This news is difficult for everyone on The Sun and particularly for those of you who work closely with those involved. Some of the individuals arrested have been instrumental in breaking important stories about public bodies, for example the scandal of our under resourced troops in Iraq.
