The head of the Metropolitan police’s Black Police Association (MBPA) committed gross misconduct over his participation in a WhatsApp group that shared sexist comments and racist remarks about Asian people, a police tribunal has found.
Insp Charles Ehikioya faces potential dismissal after Friday’s tribunal ruling at Palestra House in London. It found he was in a chat group with a former officer, Carlo Francisco, where racist, misogynistic, homophobic and pornographic messages were sent.
Ehikioya said the claims were fabricated or falsely attributed to him because of his race or position at the MBPA, the misconduct hearing previously heard.
But the panel, led by Cmdr Jason Prins, found the allegations were proven and amounted to gross misconduct. It found Ehikioya’s involvement in the chat breached standards of professional behaviour in respect of equality and diversity, discreditable conduct and challenging and reporting improper conduct.
Prins said Ehikioya’s behaviour was “so serious as to potentially justify dismissal”.
The tribunal heard that in more than 7,000 messages between 2017 and 2020 Ehikioya sent and received jokes, pictures and videos described by James Berry, representing the Met, as disgraceful and inappropriate. He also failed to report the inappropriate content.
In one message Ehikioya sent an image of the Playboy founder, Hugh Hefner, with the comment “message from the other side, tell the Muslims there’s no 72 virgins left”, the hearing was told this week.
Francisco sent a message mocking Katie Price’s disabled son, Harvey. The message included a video of a man snorting white powder through a tube while wearing a mask of Harvey’s face.
In 2023, Francisco was separately found guilty of gross misconduct over messages shared in another WhatsApp chat, including some about Harvey.
There were also a series of “racist” messages about Chinese people, the tribunal heard. On 1 April 2019, Ehikioya warned Francisco to “stop sending or receiving these silly porns”, saying he could get into trouble.
The hearing was told that Francisco replied: “I personally trust everyone I share something with … but sorry Charles I have to stop sharing with you now.”
This was followed by two smiley faces and a later post saying “April fool ma brother ohh”.
There was also a “clearly racist” video mocking a Korean woman pronouncing Coca-Cola, graphic images of a woman on her period and pictures of a woman’s face being slapped by an erect penis, the tribunal heard.
Ehikioya has been on restricted duties pending the outcome of the hearing.