Black Met officer lied about being called a dodgy Nigerian' in race claim, force says

"In considering harm, while there was no psychological harm to Inspector Thompson, the consequences on his career could have been significant if the officer's false allegations had been found proven. The panel were informed that since these allegations, Insp Thompson was put on restrictive duties and concluded this was actual harm. The panel also considered this is a type of reputational harm, both to Insp Thompson and to the Met."

"There was a malign intent in trying to remove Insp Thompson as his line manager by falsely accusing him of racism. The conduct found proved is incompatible with the role of a police officer. Cmdr Prins said the sergeant acted dishonestly in a way that significantly undermines the trust that the public need to have in their police for the service to be effective."

Detective Sergeant Nonso Anidi was found to have lied about a colleague using the phrase 'dodgy Nigerian' and was dismissed after a gross misconduct hearing. Anidi secretly recorded a meeting with Inspector Chris Thompson following challenges over overtime and leave bookings; the recording captured the word 'dodgy' but did not capture the word 'Nigerian'. Commander Jason Prins concluded that the allegation of the word 'Nigerian' was not heard and that Anidi acted with malign intent to remove his line manager. The panel found actual harm through restrictive duties and reputational damage, concluding the dishonesty undermined public trust. Anidi is appealing and has called for further investigation.

Read at www.standard.co.uk