Back in January 2025 the head of the Met’s Black Police Association (MBPA), Charles Ehikioya, played the race card and lost. He had sent racist, sexist and inappropriate messages in a group chat and then claimed that he was being targeted for being black and not due to the disgusting comments he had made. What a role model.
Charles Ehikioya, a former inspector, participated in a WhatsApp chat with ex-officer Carlo Francisco, during which the inappropriate remarks were disseminated.
A panel reviewing evidence this week determined that his conduct constituted a violation of professional behaviour rules.
Following the hearing, Mr. Charles Ehikioya stated that he “categorically” refuted the claims and expressed his “dismay” at the result. He contended that the allegations against him were contrived owing to his race or position within the MBPA. He plans to file an appeal even though they have the WhatsApp messages from his digital device under his account. Maybe he was hacked because he is black?
Under the leadership of Commander Jason Prins, the panel determined that Mr. Charles Ehikioya violated principles pertaining to equality and diversity, engaged in discreditable conduct, and failed to challenge and report unlawful behaviour.
Cdr Prins stated that the panel determined the “suitable and commensurate sanction” was termination without notice.
Between 2017 and 2020, the officer reportedly exchanged over 7,000 messages with jokes, images, and videos.
He purportedly transmitted an image of the deceased Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, accompanied by the remark, “message from the other side, inform the Muslims that there are no 72 virgins remaining.”
The hearing revealed a series of discriminatory statements directed at Chinese individuals.
The chat log contained jokes regarding sexual relations with a girl with Down syndrome, ridicule of the late Duke of Edinburgh’s vehicle accident, and a video featuring a child with an exposed posterior, as reported by the panel.
Addressing the media following his dismissal, Mr Charles Ehikioya said: “I believe this outcome was manipulated to ensure a finding against me and is part of a deliberate campaign to smear my reputation.
“The process from the very beginning has been flawed and it is clear to me that this decision is an attempt to silence my voice in the fight against the endemic racism within the [Metropolitan Police Service].”
He said he was subjected to an “unfair investigation” that had “appeared to seek evidence against me regardless of the truth”.
Mr Charles Ehikioya added: “This misconduct case is just the latest in a long history of black officers being disproportionately scrutinised and penalised.”
He accused the force of treating him differently to a white officer who faced misconduct allegations.
The panel found the messages sent or received by Insp Charles Ehikioya “deeply damage public confidence in the police service”
Andy George, the president of the National Black Police Association (NBPA), told BBC News it had been a “difficult day” for Mr Ehikioya and that the now former inspector intends to appeal the decision.
The NBPA supported Mr Charles Ehikioya from a “from a fairness and integrity point of view” and not on a judgement of his guilt or innocence, Mr George said.
He criticised “irregularities” in the disciplinary process and the time taken to reach an outcome, noting the allegations stem from 2020 and others involved had their cases dealt with two years ago.
Andy George, president of the National Black Police Association, said there were “irregularities” in the disciplinary process
A Met Police spokesperson said the force is “confident that this was not a case where disproportionality was a factor”, adding the panel found no evidence of this.
“However, we know that its presence in the misconduct system more broadly remains a real concern for officers and staff, particularly those from black or other minority ethnic heritage backgrounds,” they said.
The spokesperson added the misconduct system was undergoing reforms to address “legitimate concerns”.
On 1 April 2019, Insp Charles Ehikioya allegedly warned Mr Francisco to “stop sending or receiving these silly porns”, saying he could get into trouble.
The hearing was told that Mr 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”.
Cdr Prins said the panel “found that Inspector Charles Ehikioya has engaged in racist, sexist, misogynistic and otherwise inappropriate behaviour”.
He added: “The panel finds to a large extent that the messages speak for themselves.”
He also said they found his defence of the allegations to be “fanciful” and “far-fetched”.
Cdr Prins said: “The panel found that the messages sent by Insp Charles Ehikioya or received by him, which he failed to challenge or report, deeply damage public confidence in the police service.”
Mr Francisco was in a separate group chat in which Insp Charles Ehikioya was the subject of racism from colleagues, including references to chains, wicker baskets and cotton-picking, the hearing was told earlier this week.
Nicholas Yeo, representing Insp Charles Ehikioya, said in his closing argument that the terms were “intrinsically linked” to slavery in the US in the 1800s.
He went on: “PC Francisco may not have been motivated in a way, in terms of a strict motivation, but it is quite clear that he was part of a vile, racist group that wanted to do the officer (Insp Charles Ehikioya) great harm for no reason other than his race.”
In 2023, Mr Francisco was separately found to have committed gross misconduct over the messages shared in that group, along with seven others.
He was dismissed in July 2022 for an unrelated matter involving discreditable conduct, the Met said.
If you think you can trust the Metropolitan Police, think again because their web page about Charles Ehikioya has already been taken down to hide the sordid affair from the public. However, if you want to see what messages Charles Ehikioya sent and the real story then see below:
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.