Met chief Dame Cressida Dick referred to police watchdog over Operation Midland role
Met chief Dame Cressida Dick has been referred to the police watchdog over her role in the Carl Beech investigation.
The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) asked the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to look into the matter following a formal complaint from former Conservative MP Harvey Proctor.
Mr Proctor, 72, accused the Metropolitan Police Commissioner of failing to correct false claims of abuse that were made by Beech in 2014 and echoed by a senior officer as “credible and true”.
Beech’s allegations sparked an extensive police investigation, dubbed Operation Midland, into Mr Proctor when Beech falsely told detectives that he had been sexually abused by a number of high-profile government figures during the seventies.
In a statement issued on Friday, the IOPC said they had “received a voluntary referral from MOPAC regarding a complaint about public comments made by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner about Operation Midland.
“The referral also alleges the Commissioner failed to take action to correct a statement made to the media by an Operation Midland detective.
“We are assessing the information provided to determine whether an investigation is necessary and, if so, what level of involvement is required by the IOPC.
“We will provide a further statement once our decision is made.”
Dame Cressida said she will co-operate with any inquiry.