UK: Tough on crime..
01 May 1998
In a massive corruption probe, Scotland Yard's Complaints Investigation Bureau (CIB) continue to look into the affairs of up to 250 Metropolitan police officers, many said to be senior detectives from some of the force's most prestigious divisions. In January, the homes of 14 serving and five retired officers from the Yard's notorious Flying Squad were raided by the so-called "ghost squad", resulting in 13 suspensions from the Rigg Approach office in north-east London (see Statewatch vol 8, no 1). June and July has seen further raids, including one on a Detective Sergeant arrested and bailed for the alleged theft of ?110,000 of police funds. The number of suspensions currently stands at 23, although the CIB's investigations are expected to persist well into next year. A plethora of allegations surround the enquiries, including the contamination of evidence, bribery, drug dealing and contract killing. The Met's Commissioner Sir Paul Condon, who has expressed his intent to "deal with this mischief", is reportedly concerned about morale.
Meanwhile, four officers from Cleveland CID have been served with disciplinary notices informing them that complaints against them are under investigation. The internal inquiry is believed to be connected to Britain's largest ever heroin seizure in 1993. The case that followed the seizure collapsed when two detectives named the arrestee as their informant. A Police Complaints Authority spokesman said only that serious allegations were being investigated, while Cleveland Police stated that although one of the four was already under suspension the investigation was separate from "Operation Lancet", the corruption probe that has seen the suspension of the head of the Middlesborough CID and zero tolerance "pioneer" Ray Mallon. High-profile and hard-line, Mallon's numerous soundbites include "we target a minority group - called criminals". Six other detectives have also been suspended, including Sean Allen and Brendan Whitehead who face allegations that they supplied heroin to a suspect in return for confessions. A further four have been "moved to other duties".
"Operation Jackpot", the three year inquiry into corruption at Stoke Newington police station triggered by widespread accusations of drug dealing has also recently resurfaced. Five officers, then at the north London station, were seeking a retrial of a libel action against the Guardian. Reynald Bennett, Bernard Gillen, Paul Goscombe, Gerald Mapp and Robert Watton claimed two articles written by Duncan Campbell in January 1992 suggested that they were involved in planting and dealing drugs. A High Court jury dismissed their claims in February of last year. Constable Ronald Palumbo, who also claimed defamation within the articles, was unable to see his writ served after being jailed for 11 years prior to the action for conspiring to smuggle ?2 million pounds worth of cannabis into Britain (see Statewatch vol 7, no 1). The latest bid at the Court of Appeal, described as "wholly unjustified" by the newspaper's defence counsel, was thrown out on 8 July. The Police Federation, who supported the five in both actions, now face a legal bill approaching ?1 million and, presumably, questions from rank-and-file officers as to its utilisation of union funds.
Elsewhere, PC John McAnenny was sacked in June by West Midlands police after 24 years service. He is currently awaiting trial in France after being arrested aboard a yacht in Calais loaded with cannabis estimated to be worth around ?1 million. In March, the Metropolitan police dismissed John Cappello (Paddington Green) and Keith Roberts (Finsbury Park) after they admitted selling ecstasy to a colleague. Judge George Bathurst was incredibly lenient on the two, instead castigating their colleague, PC Sean Hallewell, and the tabloid newspaper to which he sold his story. Cappello and Roberts each received 200 hours community service, were ordered to pay ?600 toward the prosecution costs