Head of Met black officers’ group guilty of gross misconduct in WhatsApp chats
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Insp Charles Ehikioya could lose job after ruling that he took part in sharing of sexist comments and racist remarks. The head of the Metropolitan police’s Black Police Association (MBPA) committed gross misconduct over his participation in a WhatsApp group that shared sexist comments and racist remarks about Asian people, a police tribunal has found.
Insp Charles Ehikioya faces potential dismissal after Friday’s tribunal ruling at Palestra House in London. It found he was in a chat group with a former officer, Carlo Francisco, where racist, misogynistic, homophobic and pornographic messages were sent.
Ehikioya said the claims were fabricated or falsely attributed to him because of his race or position at the MBPA, the misconduct hearing previously heard. But the panel, led by Cmdr Jason Prins, found the allegations were proven and amounted to gross misconduct. It found Ehikioya’s involvement in the chat breached standards of professional behaviour in respect of equality and diversity, discreditable conduct and challenging and reporting improper conduct.
Prins said Ehikioya’s behaviour was “so serious as to potentially justify dismissal”. The tribunal heard that in more than 7,000 messages between 2017 and 2020 Ehikioya sent and received jokes, pictures and videos described by James Berry, representing the Met, as disgraceful and inappropriate. He also failed to report the inappropriate content.
