Met accused of waterboarding
By politics.co.uk staff
Six members of the Metropolitan police have been suspended or had their duties restricted after they were accused of waterboarding suspects.
The accusations are entirely unproven but allegations of mistreatment have already triggered an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) inquiry.
They relate to a drug raid in Enfield on November 4th last year.
The Met said the allegations were of “real concern” but refused to specify their nature.
“The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) received information from an Metropolitan Police Service employee which raised concerns about the conduct of a small number of officers on Enfield borough,” a Met spokesman said.
“The Met’s DPS then initiated a thorough investigation and as part of this made a referral to the IPCC in April 2009.
“The IPCC is independently investigating the actions of six officers during the arrests of five people in November 2008.”
Waterboarding, previously employed by the CIA in the interrogation of al-Qaida suspects, involves immobilising a victim on their back with their head inclined downwards and pouring water over their face and breathing passages.
The technique causes suffocation and inhalation of water, leading the subject to experience drowning and believe they are about to die. It is widely considered to be a form of torture and was recently banned by Barack Obama in the US.
The spokesman continued: “These are serious allegations that do raise real concern,” he added.
“The Met does not tolerate conduct which falls below the standards that the public and the many outstanding Met officers and staff expect.
“Any allegations of such behaviour are treated very seriously, as this case illustrates, and if found true the strongest possible action will be taken.”
Commenting on the reports, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: “These allegations, if confirmed, are appalling and shocking.
“It beggars belief that Metropolitan Police officers can have used torture techniques like waterboarding when they must have known that such behaviour was itself criminal and would wreck any trial.”
The IPCC is currently conducting six separate investigations into police behaviour at the G20 protests in April.
