A Metropolitan Police officer has been charged with perverting the course of justice following a BBC Panorama investigation into alleged misconduct at Charing Cross police station in London. Sgt Sadiq Al-Hasani, 37, is the first person to be charged as a result of the investigation.
The Met Police stated that the charge relates to an allegation that Sgt Al-Hasani, who was attached to the Central West Command Unit, "deliberately sought to discourage another officer from making a statement to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)". The IOPC also said Sgt Al-Hasani allegedly approached a junior officer, a potential key witness, with the intention to obstruct or interfere with the probe.
Sgt Al-Hasani was charged on 13 August in relation to an incident on 2 October 2025. He remains suspended from duty, according to the Met. He is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
The IOPC began its investigation after a mandatory conduct referral from the Met on 3 October, following the broadcast of BBC Panorama – Undercover in the Police on 1 October 2025. The programme featured a BBC journalist who went undercover in a custody suite, secretly filming officers allegedly making racist comments and bragging about violence.
The IOPC's investigation concluded in June, leading to a referral of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service. The IOPC has found 15 officers to have committed gross misconduct, with all but one, a former PC, being barred from policing. Investigations into the conduct of a further 14 officers or police staff are ongoing.