UK phone-tapping scandal shows police corruption risk

By Rachel Davies, Transparency International UK

This afternoon the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, has confirmed that documents supplied to the police contain evidence that journalists working for the News of the World made ‘inappropriate payments’ to police officers in exchange for information.

This is the latest development in the phone hacking scandal which has seen the Sunday paper accused of accessing the voicemails of several thousand people, including the families of those caught up in the 7/7 bombings. It is no surprise that the alleged disregard for those coping with the aftermath of such tragic events has caused such a strong public reaction.

What is clear is that this recent allegation is one of corruption and straightforward bribery. This highlights the fact that bribery appears in many forms and can occur in many different contexts, but it also raises questions about the vulnerability of the UK police force to corruption. Read more…