Met Black Police Association Chair Faces Misconduct Hearing Over Offensive WhatsApp Messages
Inspector Charles Ehikioya is accused of sharing and failing to report racist, misogynistic, and pornographic messages in a group chat with a former officer.
- Inspector Charles Ehikioya, head of the Metropolitan Police's Black Police Association, is accused of gross misconduct for allegedly exchanging over 7,000 offensive WhatsApp messages with former PC Carlo Francisco between 2017 and 2020.
- The messages reportedly included racist jokes, misogynistic content, and explicit material, with specific allegations involving discriminatory remarks about East Asian people, a disabled child, and a girl with Down’s syndrome.
- Ehikioya denies the allegations, claiming the messages were fabricated or falsely attributed to him due to his race or position, and asserts he did not send, receive, or read the messages in question.
- The misconduct hearing revealed that Ehikioya sent at least two messages warning Francisco to stop sharing inappropriate content but allegedly failed to report or challenge the offensive material further.
- The hearing, which began on January 6 and is set to conclude on January 10, will determine whether Ehikioya's actions breached professional standards, potentially leading to his dismissal.
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