Home Secretary defends arrest of opponent

By Frank Prenesti

LONDON (Reuters) - The Home Secretary on Sunday defended the arrest of a senior opposition politician and said police should be allowed to complete their investigation into suspected leaking of information without interference.

Damian Green, 52, the Conservative Party's immigration spokesman, was arrested on Thursday as part of an inquiry into leaks of government material by an interior ministry official which he then made public.

Green was questioned for nine hours at a London police station and counter-terrorism police searched his parliamentary offices. He was released without charge.

He was arrested on suspicion of "conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office and aiding and abetting, counselling or procuring misconduct in a public office."

Police said they acted after receiving a complaint from the government department in charge of the rules governing the conduct of government employees and ministers.

"The investigation into the alleged leak of confidential government material followed the receipt by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) of a complaint from the Cabinet Office," they said in a statement at the time.

"The decision to make today's arrest was taken solely by the MPS without any ministerial knowledge or approval."

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said parliamentarians did have the right to use information they receive to ensure government was accountable, but that police must be able to investigate leaks of sensitive information.