Three senior Northern Ireland Police officers are under investigation following allegations of misconduct and criminality in public office.
Police Ombudsman Michael Maguire is looking into complaints over how the trio - Chief Constable George Hamilton, Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris and Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton - handled a 2014 inquiry relating to allegations of bribery in public office in the awarding of Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) vehicle contracts, reports the BBC.
There are claims of “criminality and misconduct in how this investigation was undertaken”, the Police Ombudsman’s office said in a statement today.
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The Belfast Telegraph reports that a number of less senior officers are also being investigated as part of the inquiry, which the Ombudsman’s office described as a “critical incident”.
The allegations reportedly include claims that entries in police journals relating to the 2014 probe were changed, and that the PSNI failed to follow proper procedures to obtain warrants.
The PSNI said the officers under investigation “completely refute the allegations made against them”, but that the service “acknowledges and supports the need for the Office of the Police Ombudsman to investigate these allegations”.
Maguire launched the investigation after receiving complaints from seven people questioned as part of the 2014 inquiry. They included retired PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland, and the former chief constable of West Yorkshire Police, Mark Gilmore. Eighteen months later, the Public Prosecution Service informed them that no one would face any charges.
In its statement, the PSNI said that they would normally limit their responses on matters under investigation, but that in this circumstance, “this case has been the subject of recent speculative press and media coverage which has the potential to negatively impact on public confidence in policing”.
Earlier this week one of the three senior officers being investigated, Hamilton, denied newspaper reports that claimed he was stepping down from his role.
The Sunday World reported that Hamilton had announced his resignation at an event for senior police officials, but he says he wasn’t even there.
“I have absolutely no plans to stand down from the job of chief constable now or in the near future,” he told The Irish News.
“This report is totally spurious and I will be seeking advice regarding legal action against the newspaper.”
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