The London police have arrested a 47-year old woman believed to be Cheryl Carter, the long-time personal assistant of Rebekah Brooks, a major figure in the News Corp. phone hacking scandal.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that it arrested said woman Friday morning on suspicion of “attempting to pervert the course of justice” but did not confirm her identity, according to the Guardian. The reason for her arrest suggests Carter either intervened in Operating Weeting — the ongoing investigation into phone hacking and bribery — or was not as helpful as the police had hoped.
Like Brooks, her former boss, Carter no longer works for News International, the British publishing subsidiary of News Corp.
Brooks, pictured at left, served as both the editor of the News of the World, the now-defunct tabloid at the center of the scandal, and the chief executive of News International, which operates the News of the World as well as other publications.
Brooks was arrested back in July and also testified before Parliament about what she did and did not know with regard to the widespread hacking that occurred under her watch.
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She declined to answer certain questions because of the ongoing investigation — of which she may be a potential suspect.
Finding out what Brooks did or did not know would be a significant help to Operation Weeting not just because of her time at News International but because she is also believed to be close to News Corp. Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch, as well as several prominent British public figures.
Carter worked for and with Brooks for some time.