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A City of London police superintendent has been arrested by the IPCC on suspicion of passing information to a journalist. Photograph: John D McHugh/AFP/Getty Images
A City of London police superintendent has been arrested by the IPCC on suspicion of passing information to a journalist. Photograph: John D McHugh/AFP/Getty Images

Police officer arrested over suspected leak to journalist

This article is more than 11 years old
City of London superintendent held by IPCC after tip-off by Scotland Yard's Operation Elveden

A senior serving police officer has been arrested by the Independent Police Complaints Commission on suspicion of passing unauthorised information to a journalist.

The male officer, a superintendent from the City of London police force, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

His arrest follows information provided to the IPCC by the Metropolitan police's Operation Elveden investigation into inappropriate payments to police and public officials.

The IPCC said the officer was in custody at a London police station. He is believed to be the most senior officer yet arrested as part of the investigation into alleged corruption.

The police watchdog said in a statement: "A serving officer of superintendent rank, from City of London police, has today been arrested by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

"The arrest is the result of information passed to the IPCC by the Metropolitan Police Service team investigating Operation Elveden. It relates to the alleged passing of unauthorised information to a journalist."

It is understood the arrest is not as a result of any allegations that the officer received payments from journalists. It is understood the allegations centre around claims of misconduct in a public office over contact with journalists.

The information was passed to the IPCC by officers from Operation Elveden and the body decided to begin an independent investigation into the officer. This resulted in his arrest on Thursday by the IPCC.

City of London police have been involved in major investigations into Harry Redknapp for tax evasion and Kieron Fallon over allegations of race fixing. Both men were cleared at criminal trials.

The arrest comes on the same day that Scotland Yard arrested a Sun journalist, a former prison officer and one other person in connection with its Operation Elveden investigation.

The former prison officer, a 40-year-old-man, was arrested at his home in Corby, Northamptonshire, on suspicion of corruption, misconduct in a public office and money laundering.

A 37-year-old woman was also arrested at home in Corby, on suspicion of aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office and money laundering. Both are being questioned at a police station in Northamptonshire. A 31-year-old man was also arrested at his home in Croydon on suspicion of conspiracy to corrupt and conspiracy to cause misconduct in a public office.

Those arrests were made following information provided to police by News Corporation's management and standards committee.

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