Second Met officer charged in credit cards probe

A second Metropolitan police officer faces questions over alleged misuse of force credit cards. Det Con Matt Washington has been charged with misconduct in public office and will attend court today (15 May).

This follows the charge of misfeasance in public office, and subsequent resignation, of Det Sgt Richard de Cadenet last month.

Two other officers were arrested last year over the alleged irregular use of the force’s American Express credit cards.

Last year it came to light that an unaccounted £4.7 million had been spent on corporate credit cards. The IPCC launched an investigation into the missing funds after the Metropolitan Police Authority identified possible failings in the system that managed officer expenses.

The force withdrew 1,400 cards as part of the inquiry and it claimed that the amount of money unaccounted for had dropped to £499,000. The current inquiry is looking into the whereabouts of just over a third of that money.

The IPCC is leading the current investigation and said that up to 16 detectives remain under scrutiny.

“Where there is any possible evidence of misuse, they have then been referred to the department of professional standards for further review,” said Deborah Glass, heading the inquiry for the IPCC.

“The amounts of money at risk are much lower than originally suggested. The sums currently under investigation total about £150,000.

“But notwithstanding the amounts, potential misuse of public funds is rightly a matter of concern and it requires thorough investigation,” she added.