On Friday 24th July 2009 Matthew Washington, a former Detective Constable who was in the Anti-Terrorist Branch has been found guilty of misfeance in public office. During the course of a year, he spent the best part of £20 000 on the Corporate Amex card, including about £600 while at Euro Disney and £82.96 in Harmony an adult shop in Soho. (What is it about public money and porn?)

He has paid back £12 500 and is due for sentencing on 3rd September 2009.

A one off, would be something tolerable, but unfortunately the IPCC are undertaking a significant investigation in to misuse of Credit Cards by Police Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service. There have been a total of 50 referals made to the IPCC and Auditors continue with their checks on the expenditure on 3 500 cards in use since 2006.

The investigations are being managed by IPCC Senior Investigator, Simon Cousins, and overseen by IPCC Commissioner Deborah Glass.

Former Sergeant John Gallagher, received an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years after pleading guilty. He admitted misusing £9,622 on the card but has since repaid it in full. In addition to the suspended sentence, he was ordered to undergo treatment for alcoholism.

Former Sergeant Richard De Cadenet received ten months in prison after pleading guilty to spending over £70,000 on his police-issued credit card.

Detective Constable Christopher Fernley, was charged with three counts of false accounting and is awaiting trial.

Another Officer, who cannot be named due to reporting restrictions, was charged with misconduct in public office and is due to appear before Southwark Crown Court on 21 August 2009.

Fourteen officers have received written warnings.

Twenty-five cases additional cases are currently being investigated.

Martin Baker, Chief Constable of Dorset has completed an investigation into the possible misuse of corporate credit cards by one senior MPS officer. The Metropolitan Police Authority has announced that the authority’s professional standards cases sub-committee was satisfied that no action was required.

An investigation into the second senior MPS officer is on-going.

The amounts involved in the cases which are still being investigated range to a maximum of about £15000.