BREAKING: Unexpected arrest in phone-hacking case leaves News of the World stunned

[cali]

Executives clear desk of news editor James Weatherup hours before police arrive

The News of the World reacted to the unexpected arrest of one of its most senior reporters by clearing his desk.

Despite the paper having promised that it would co-operate fully with police inquiries, executives descended on the desk of former news editor James Weatherup moments after learning of his arrest. Under the eyes of their legal team, they bagged up notebooks, papers and recording machines and removed them "via our lawyers", a firm whose identity the publisher refused to confirm.

A few hours later, the police arrived and took the bags to Scotland Yard.

The unexpected arrest of Weatherup, one of the most senior journalists at the News of the World, at his home leaves little room for doubt that the new police team investigating the phone-hacking scandal is determined to succeed where its much-criticised predecessors failed.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/apr/14/phone-hacking-arrest-news-of-world

[randr]

1. If they are so determined to succeed

why did they not secure his work place as they arrested him?

[PATRICK]

2. The sacrificial goat.

They couldn't leave the country en masse. So the Family left and God knows what other big wigs, which actually precipitates investigators to grabbing the best they can while they can and putting the screws on. This is where a giant corporation wants to fight an inevitable battle made more precipitate by Hugh Grant's fuse within the media spotlight itself.

While the reporter remains in the hot seat the behind the scenes pressure to stop the damage can continue until the case becomes a trial of the satisfyingly culpable scape goat(Scooter Libby redux) and the corporate criminal entity lives to blight another day.

We'll see how British law, subject to its own corporate interest weaknesses, holds up under the grinding process and the incessant corrupting pressure, possibly including blackmail gleaned from the very crime being investigated.

[Trajan]

3. Did they cross the line into obstruction of justice ?

Sending the cleanup crew AFTER the arrest is quite damning ....