Met fraud case folds

Scotland Yard's high-profile attempt to bring deception charges against a senior black police officer have collapsed for lack of evidence.

After a seven-month inquiry - reported to have cost more than £1million - the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) says it cannot substantiate its claim that Chief Inspector Leroy Logan, 44, fiddled his expenses by £80.

It has told the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) it does not even have enough evidence to support internal disciplinary action against the officer.

Attempts to pursue a charge against Mr Logan in the criminal courts collapsed last November when the Crown Prosecution Service threw the case out.

The development is a huge embarrassment for the Met, coming 24 hours after the force was heavily criticised by the Metropolitan Police Authority for its discriminatory treatment of Sikh sergeant Gurpal Virdi.

Mr Logan, who strongly denied any wrongdoing, is taking the Met to an employment tribunal over the treatment he received and is now likely to receive substantial compensation.

Mr Logan, who received an MBE last year, was accused by officers from Operation Helios - an inquiry into allegations against another minority officer Superintendent Alli Dizaei.

A spokesman for the PCA said: "As a consequence of the Helios inquiry, the MPS proposed and the PCA accepted that there was insufficient evidence to support any misconduct charges against the chief inspector. However, the MPS also recommended that the chief inspector should receive words of advice about the need to maintain accurate records of his expenses."

Informed of the development by the Evening Standard, Mr Logan said: "I am over the moon. This has been seven months of hell for me and my family. One must question what it was all about." He said there were parallels between his case and that of Mr Virdi, in which the Met was accused of taking disproportionate action. "This has damaged them [the Met]. People are saying that if they can do this to a black officer in a relatively high position, what would they do to a probationer of 20 months. Why join the police and take the risk?"

The allegation concerned a hotel room booked and paid for by the Black Police Association, for whom Mr Logan is the London chairman. He is said to have presented the bill for about £80 with his expenses some months later. As soon as this was pointed out, he paid the money back.

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