Two senior police officers have been removed from front line duties over claims they disclosed ‘false information’ during a racism tribunal.
A detective chief inspector and an inspector have been told they are under investigation for ‘gross misconduct’ while they were officers in the internal affairs department of Greater Manchester Police.
The pair strenuously deny presenting a false allegation of assault to an employment tribunal brought last year by a black inspector, Scott Winters, who accused the force of racial discrimination.
During the hearing, Inspector Winters - who has been a police officer for 26 years - was accused by the force barrister of assaulting a female officer by grabbing her by the throat and pinning her to a wall some 18 years earlier.
The barrister withdrew the line of questioning when challenged by the employment tribunal panel.
The allegation was false, only emerged in the week before the tribunal, was never officially recorded on any GMP systems and was said to have happened in Bolton at a time when Insp Winters was based in Wigan , according to the accused officer.
It is believed GMP later agreed to pay Inspector Winters more than £20,000 as part of an out-of-court settlement.
The officer’s original court action had alleged he had been treated differently to white officers by being subjected to a ‘disproportionate and discriminatory’ internal year-long investigation into unsubstantiated claims he had assaulted another colleague at Chadderton police station.
Insp Winters had spoken to a PC after overhearing him calling another inspector by his first name and also challenged the officer over his ‘sloppy and unprofessional image’.
The spat resulted in an internal force probe into Inspector Winters conducted by the Professional Standards Branch (PSB) of GMP, with the DCI and inspector playing key roles in the investigation.
When it came to an end Inspector Winters launched his race discrimination case.
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The M.E.N. has learned the officers, both white women, have been served with ‘gross misconduct papers’, official confirmation they are under investigation for conduct which could end in their sacking if the cases are proven.
The branch has been at the centre of a series of allegations of corruption, which have been denied by force bosses, although Chief Constable Ian Hopkins called in The Met in London to carry out a ‘peer review’ of the under-fire department.
In a statement the Independent Police Complaints Commission said: “The IPCC has served regulation notices on two Greater Manchester Police officers to advise that their actions are subject to investigation in the inquiry into an allegation that false information was disclosed during an employment tribunal.”
A spokesman for GMP said: “We are aware of an independent investigation being carried out by the IPCC into a complaint that has been made in relation to a previous employment tribunal.
“Two serving GMP officers have now been restricted from operational duties pending their investigation into allegations of gross misconduct. Given the on-going investigation it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.”
Detective Constable Paul Bailey, chairman of the Greater Manchester-based Black and Asian Police Association, said: “We have highlighted concerns about the conduct of some officers within the Professional Standards Branch for many years. No truly independent inquiry has ever been conducted. Now is the time for that independent inquiry to take place.”
