Enfield police ‘waterboard claim’ misconduct action dropped by IPCC

Friday, March 16, 2012
8:30 AM

Misconduct action against three Scotland Yard officers accused of assault during a raid has been shelved by the police watchdog.

The main witness of the alleged attack in Tottenham, north London, in 2008 is now declining to give evidence, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said.

It marks a disastrous end to a long-running inquiry after prosecutors said in 2010 that there was insufficient evidence to charge any members of the Enfield Crime Squad.

Prosecutors and the IPCC have both launched wide-ranging inquiries into claims of corruption by members of the Enfield Crime Squad.

One suspect drug dealer claimed he was “waterboarded” by officers when they put his head in a toilet and flushed it.

Police have also faced claims that they assaulted suspects and took their property, including a Mercedes car, for their own use.

But IPCC commissioner Mike Franklin said the misconduct hearing dropped focused solely on the actions of the three officers who raided an address in Brantwood Road, Tottenham.

Mr Franklin said: “This particular independent investigation was solely looking at the isolated incident in Brantwood Road, Tottenham, and not other incidents involving Enfield Crime Squad.

“The IPCC was in the process of consulting with those involved in the search with a view to holding a misconduct hearing for the three MPS officers in public.

“Powers granted under the Police Reform Act 2002 provide for the IPCC to direct a force to hold a misconduct hearing in public if it is in the public interest to do so because of the gravity of the case or other exceptional circumstances.

“Regrettably, in this particular case, the main witness has declined to provide their evidence to a hearing and it is therefore unfortunate that the MPS will now not be able to hold misconduct proceedings as previously planned.”