"Instead they abused their trusted positions"
Two senior Metropolitan Police officers have been sacked for gross misconduct.
Chief Superintendent Paul Martin and Chief Inspector Davinder Kandohla were both found to have “abused their trusted positions”, including the “appalling” manner in which they dealt with more junior staff.
The breaches related to misusing a corporate credit card, conduct towards more junior staff members including a pregnant colleague and failing to declare a conflict of interest while assisting in a promotion process for Mr Kandohla.
A public misconduct hearing concluded on January 16, 2022.
Both police officers were dismissed without notice.
Mr Martin was found to have breached Standards of Professional Behaviour in relation to “honesty and integrity, orders and instructions, duties and responsibilities, authority, respect and courtesy, and equality and diversity”.
Mr Martin was found guilty of misusing a corporate credit card and failing to declare a conflict of interest while assisting in a promotion process for Mr Kandohla.
He also treated a pregnant colleague poorly, calling her a “f*****g nutter”.
Mr Kandohla was also found to have breached Standards of Professional Behaviour in relation to “honesty and integrity, authority, respect and courtesy, duties and responsibilities and discreditable conduct”.
He failed to declare a conflict of interest during his own promotion process, given a misleading account to professional standards officers during an investigation into his claimed expenses, and breached the Met’s standards in his conduct towards more junior members of staff.
The hearing also considered allegations against two other officers.
Sergeant James Di-Luzio was found to have misused a corporate credit card and behaved badly towards his junior colleagues. He was issued with management advice.
Allegations made against PC Karina Kandohla were not proven.
The breaches all occurred between 2017 and 2019.
Commander Catherine Roper said the officers’ behaviour “has no place in the Met”.
She said: “It is right they have been subject to a detailed and thorough investigation by the DPS, resulting in a misconduct hearing and the subsequent sanctions.
“Three of the officers were of a leadership rank and should have been setting a strong example for the standards we hold in the Met.
“Instead they abused their trusted positions; in particular in the way they spoke to and treated more junior members of staff was appalling.
“This behaviour will not be tolerated by anyone in the Met and we will continue to investigate and hold to account those who act in this manner.”
Commander Roper continued: “It is critical and right that all Londoners can trust our officers, staff and volunteers whenever they encounter them.
“It is also essential that people who work for the Met do so in a positive, inclusive and supportive environment.”
She went on: “We cannot and are not waiting for the findings of ongoing inquiries to begin rebuilding the public’s trust and confidence that police officers will protect and respect them.
“We have already taken a number of significant steps to start real change across the organisation.
“These include the ongoing changes delivered through the Deputy Commissioner’s Delivery Group, including the Mayors Action Plan; the delivery of the STRIDE Action plan; The ‘Rebuilding Trust and Confidence’ commitments; in addition to two independent reviews, an examination of all current investigations of sexual and domestic abuse allegations against Met employees and an increase in the number of investigators in our Professional Standards Directorate.”
Commander Roper concluded: “The Met is driven by the values of professionalism, integrity, courage and compassion.
“We only want the best and will always act when our employees fall below the exemplary standards we and the public expect and deserve.”
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