A Metropolitan Police officer has become the first individual to face criminal charges stemming from a BBC Panorama probe into alleged misconduct at Charing Cross police station in London.
Sergeant Sadiq Al-Hasani, aged 37, has been charged with perverting the course of justice. He is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
According to a statement from the Met Police, the charge relates to an allegation that Sgt Al-Hasani, who is attached to the Central West Command Unit, deliberately attempted to dissuade another officer from providing a statement to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The IOPC launched its inquiry after the broadcast of BBC Panorama – Undercover in the Police on 1 October 2025. During the program, an undercover journalist worked within the custody suite and secretly recorded several officers making racist remarks and boasting about violence used against suspects.
Sgt Al-Hasani was charged on 13 August in connection with an incident that took place on 2 October 2025. The IOPC stated that he allegedly approached a junior officer, who was a potential key witness in the broader Charing Cross investigation, with the intent to obstruct or interfere with the probe.
He remains suspended from duty. The IOPC initiated its investigation following a mandatory conduct referral from the Met on 3 October. As part of the inquiry, regulators reviewed footage gathered for the program that was not included in the final broadcast.
The investigation concluded in June, leading the IOPC to refer a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service. To date, 15 officers have been found to have committed gross misconduct. All except one, a former police constable, have been barred from policing.
Investigations are ongoing into the conduct of a further 14 officers and police staff members.
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