The Crown Prosecution service explained why it decided to charge Geoff Webster. (Credit: CPS.gov.uk, screenshot)

UK prosecutors have charged the Sun’s deputy editor Geoff Webster, accusing him of approving two payments to public officials a few years ago, the Guardian reported.

The Crown Prosecution Service’s statement about the charges explains the specifics behind the charges:

“The first offence relates to allegations that Mr Webster, between July 2010 and August 2011, authorised payments totalling £6,500 for information supplied by a public official to one of his journalists.

“The second offence relates to an allegation that in November 2010, Mr Webster authorised a payment of £1,500 for information provided by an unknown public official.”

The Guardian noted that “Webster was arrested in February last year,” and is among “24 staff” at the Sun to be arrested as of yet.

The Sun itself reported March 26 that Webster’s attorney argued Webster was “engaged in nothing more than doing his job.”