A senior member of the Football Association's referee department and football league referee has been arrested on suspicion of computer hacking and the dissemination of private information. Dean Mohareb, 29, was due to take charge of the Championship match between Barnsley and Peterborough on Tuesday night but following his arrest he has now been removed from the fixture.

Mohareb, the FA's national referee development manager, who is responsible for handling sensitive data, including child protection issues, was arrested at his home on Sunday. It is unknown whether Mohareb has been suspended from his role beyond no longer overseeing the match at Oakwell.

A statement from Greater Manchester Police said: "On Sunday 30 September 2012 police seized a number of electrical items as part of an investigation into computer hacking and the dissemination of private information. A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of unauthorised access to computer material/data, under section 1 of the Misuse of Computers Act 1990. The man has since been bailed until 26 November 2012."

CID are investigating the hacking of personal and work email accounts belonging to Janie Frampton, the FA's former national referee manager for education and training. Frampton's emails were leaked to the press, from a single email address, over an extended period. Stories were published alleging she had offered FA Cup semi-final tickets to a flight steward in return for British Airways flight upgrades for herself and three female referees returning from a work trip to the Dallas Cup in the US. Frampton strongly denies the allegations.

The newspaper reports prompted her immediate suspension and eventual dismissal by the FA after an internal investigation found her guilty of bringing the game into disrepute. During the process of investigation, emails were sent to senior figures in football, including the Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, from the same email account calling for Frampton to be sacked. The anonymous hacker who adopted the name "pink ref" also posted comments about the case in internet chat rooms.

Frampton, the most senior woman in the department, is currently appealing against her dismissal on the grounds that the procedures leading to it were fundamentally flawed and in breach of natural justice. An FA employee of 10 years, she has widespread support for her case from senior figures at Fifa, as well as the England Cricket Board – where she is a director of the Association of Cricket Officials – and Sports Officials UK, for whom she is CEO. No date has been confirmed for the tribunal hearing. The FA declined to comment on any matters relating to the arrest.