Five Metropolitan Police detectives have been arrested over an alleged plot to suppress a policewoman’s sexual assault complaint against a senior officer.
Suspects’ homes and the stations where they worked were raided last week Tuesday, The Sun reports.
Those arrested are said to include detective chief inspector and two detective inspector, one of whom works in the Directorate of Professional Standards which is investigating them.
Those held also include a detective sergeant.
It is claimed the officers attempted to suppress the complaint made by a female officer against a male officer following a Christmas party.
The allegations reportedly surfaced in June and searches at 11 addresses were carried out by the DPS’s Anti-Corruption Command.
The officers, all based in north-west London, have been held on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, misconduct in public office and corrupt or improper exercise of police powers.
Mobile phones and computers are also understood to have been seized.
The DPS investigation is being supervised by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
In a separate but linked case, a detective inspector has been charged with perverting the course of justice by allegedly wiping his mobile phone remotely.
One source described the alleged sex complaint nobbling plot as the “worst scandal to hit the Met’s reputation since Wayne Couzens.”
The investigation comes after Scotland Yard Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has repeatedly attempted to root out “bad apples”.
The Met was put into special measures following extensive criticism it faced after the death of Sarah Everard, who was abducted and murdered by serving Met police officer Wayne Couzens.
Baroness Casey’s 2023 report in to the Met’s culture and standards branded the Met institutionally racist, homophobic and misogynistic.
They added: “The cover-up allegations go to the heart of the Casey report and what the Met has been trying to address over the past two-and-half years.
“A female made a complaint against a senior officer that he had sexually assaulted her at a Christmas party.
“It is claimed that a group of detectives, including one working on a local professional standards unit, then suppressed that investigation.”
An IOPC spokesman said: “We can confirm that five Met officers were arrested on Tuesday (August 19) as part of an IOPC-directed investigation.
“The investigation relates to the handling of internal allegations of sexual assault against an officer and involves four officers from the North West Borough Command Unit and one officer from the Directorate of Professional Standards.
“Enquiries are being carried out by the Met's Anti-Corruption Command under our direction and control.
“A total of 11 search warrants took place on August 19 involving both residential addresses and police stations.
“The officers were advised that they are under investigation for potential offences which include perverting the course of justice, misconduct in public office and corrupt or improper exercise of police powers.
“They are also being investigated for potential gross misconduct.
“We began our directed investigation in June following a conduct referral from the Met.
“At the end of the investigation, we will decide whether to refer a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service for charging decisions and decide whether any officers should face disciplinary proceedings.”
The IOPC added: “On August 22 we were advised by the Met that it had charged an officer with perverting the course of justice, who appeared in court that day, in a matter that is linked to – but not currently part of - this investigation.
“Given proceedings are active it wouldn't be appropriate for us to comment further on this matter.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, in charge of policing in north west London, said: “Five Metropolitan Police officers, four attached to the North West Borough Command Unit and one from the Directorate of Professional Standards were arrested on Tuesday, August 19.
“They were arrested on suspicion of a range of offences, including perverting the course of justice, misconduct in public office and corrupt or improper exercise of police powers.
“This relates to the handling of an internal investigation into allegations of sexual assault against an officer.
“The investigation is being carried out by the Met's Anti-Corruption Command, under the direction of the IOPC, after a referral was made by the Met in June.”
