Tabloid in crisis mode

British tabloid The Sun was in crisis mode Saturday after eight people, including five employees, were arrested over alleged bribes paid to police and defense officials.

Police said the arrests came after they received information from the management and standards committee at The Sun's parent company, News Corporation.

"All five were arrested on suspicion of corruption ... aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office .... and conspiracy in relation to both these offenses," a police statement said. "It relates to suspected payments to police officers and public officials."  

It's thought those arrested included The Sun's deputy editor, Geoff Webster, picture editor John Edwards, chief reporter John Kay, chief foreign correspondent Nick Parker and reporter John Sturgis.

A 39-year-old female employee at Britain's defense ministry, a 36-year-old male member of the armed forces and a 39-year-old serving police officer with Surrey Police were also arrested Saturday as part of the swoop, police said.

The Metropolitan Police said all eight of those arrested were being questioned at three separate locations in the south of England. 

"The force takes matters of this nature extremely seriously and we will not hesitate to respond robustly to allegations where there is evidence to support them," said Assistant Chief Constable Jerry Kirkby.

No closure

Executives at The Sun moved quickly to dismiss rumors that News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch would decide to close the publication following the revelations. Murdoch had taken the decision last year to shutter another of its publications, the News of the World, over a wide-reaching scandal involving phone hacking.

News International CEO Tom Mockridge said Murdoch had given him "personal assurances … about his total commitment to continue to own and publish The Sun newspaper."

Mockridge acknowledged that the tabloid and its employees were "facing our greatest challenge," but urged them not to prejudge the outcome of the police investigation.

Sun editor Dominic Mohan expressed his alarm at the arrests, but insisted the six-day-per-week publication would continue its work. "I’m as shocked as anyone by today's arrests, but am determined to lead The Sun through these difficult times," Mohan said in a statement. "Our focus is on putting out Monday’s newspaper."

Wide net

The arrests showed that a police investigation into News Corporation's British newspaper empire, that was sparked by the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, was casting a broader net.

"The remit of Operation Elveden has widened to include the investigation of evidence uncovered in relation to suspected corruption involving public officials who are not police officers," the police statement said.

A separate investigation known as Operation Weeting was set up parallel to Operation Elveden, to look into the alleged illegal hacking of mobile phone voicemails.

dfm, pfd/ccp (AP, dpa, Reuters)