PSNI chief confident allegations of criminality will be dismissed

PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton has expressed confidence that allegations he and other senior officers were guilty of "criminality and misconduct" will be dismissed.

Mr Hamilton, however, expressed concern about the pace and conduct of the Police Ombudsman Dr Michael Maguire's investigation into the allegations against him, the deputy chief constable Drew Harris and assistant chief constable Mark Hamilton and other officers involved in the investigation of corruption claims against other senior officers.

The ombudsman’s inquiry relates to an investigation into concerns about the way in which the PSNI conducted an investigation into allegations of bribery and misconduct in public office in 2014 relating to lucrative contracts for police vehicles.

Nine people were arrested in connection with that investigation, including former PSNI assistant chief constable Duncan McCausland and the former chief constable of West Yorkshire Police Mark Gilmore, a former senior RUC and PSNI officer from Belfast.

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All nine denied any wrongdoing. A file was sent to the North Public Prosecution Service which decided that no cases should proceed.

‘Lack of speed’

Addressing the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Mr Hamilton raised issues about the "about the lack of speed" in bringing the case to a resolution. He also complained that key relevant documents in his and Mr Harris's office still had not been seized for examination by the ombudsman.

“The quicker this is brought to a conclusion the better,” said Mr Hamilton. “I am convinced that that conclusion will be one that we have acted with integrity and professionalism.

Rreferring to the pace of the investigation, Mr Hamilton said the final outcome “could be 18 months away” and “end up as two lines on a website of the Police Ombudsman saying these complaints are not substantiated or that they are not proven.

“And in the meantime we have all this public commentary about a chief constable who is alleged to have perverted the course of justice,” he said.

“Obviously investigators are still reading themselves into the case. This is a critical incident part of which it is alleged that I have rewritten records or amended records or directed others to do so. I did not, nor would I ever do such a thing,” he added.

“But actually these very records that I have alleged to have rewritten are still sat in my safe and the deputy chief constable’s safe. In terms of the basics of the investigation and securing and preserving evidence it still has not happened,” he said.

‘Scratching my head’

Mr Hamilton added that “four or five months” after he had been notified of the allegations, he had not been interviewed by ombudsman investigators and relevant documents had not been seized.

“So, there are specific things that have left me scratching my head,” he said.

Mr Hamilton suggested there could be some minor faults discovered by the ombudsman. “As always with any major and complex investigation I am quite sure there might be minor issues around the margins that we could have done differently or better but it is not going to be misconduct. It is certainly not going to be any criminal activity,” he said.

“There may well be some compliance with a policy or documents not signed or something of that nature,” he added.

The ombudsman’s inquiry relates to an investigation into concerns about the way in which the PSNI conducted an investigation into allegations of bribery and misconduct in public office in 2014 relating to lucrative contracts for police vehicles.

All nine people arrested in connection with the investigation are taking a case against the PSNI for wrongful arrest in relation to the original allegations of corruption in the purchase of the vehicles.

Mr Hamilton acknowledged that the PPS decided that no case should be taken. However, he said the initial investigation was ordered on the basis that there was “prima facie evidence of very serious corruption” and that the investigation was proportionate and measured.

“It would have been wrong to make assumptions because of the previous professional background of the people we were investigating,” he said.