Journalist, Policeman Arrested in News Corp. Bribes Probe

London police arrested a News Corp. (NWSA) journalist and a police officer as part of a probe into payments by journalists to law enforcement and public officials.

The journalist, a 37-year-old man, and policeman, 29, were arrested today at their homes in London and Sussex, respectively, on suspicion of conspiracy to corrupt and cause misconduct in public office. Daisy Dunlop, a News Corp. spokeswoman, said in an e-mail that the journalist works for the company’s Sun tabloid.

About 60 people have been detained in probes into bribery, and phone and computer hacking that began with News Corp.’s U.K. newspapers and spread to journalists from Trinity Mirror Plc (TNI) and Northern & Shell Plc’s Daily Star. The bribery arrests have focused on the Sun, where at least a dozen journalists have been arrested, as have police officers, health-care workers and a prison guard suspected of selling stories.

Today’s arrests are the result of information provided to police by News Corp.’s Management Standards Committee, an internal probe into wrongdoing at the company.

Both men were released on bail after questioning at London police stations, the MPS said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kit Chellel in London at cchellel@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at aaarons@bloomberg.net