Met Police's Dick Fedorcio resigns after gross misconduct charge

A statement issued this morning by IPCC deputy chair Deborah Glass has revealed that Dick Fedorcio has handed in his notice, which has brought an end to the proceedings against him.

Glass’ statement reads: ‘I have today been notified that Dick Fedorcio, the Metropolitan Police Service director of public affairs, has resigned.

‘In July 2011 the IPCC received a referral from the Metropolitan Police Authority in relation Mr Fedorcio. We decided to independently investigate the relationship between Mr Fedorcio and Neil Wallis, a former deputy editor at the News of the World, focusing on the circumstances under which a contract for senior level media advice and support was awarded to Mr Wallis' company, Chamy Media.

‘That investigation concluded and a report was sent to the MPS Directorate of Professional Standards on 10 January 2012. Our investigation found that Mr Fedorcio has a case to answer in relation to his procurement of the contract for Chamy Media. Last week the Metropolitan Police Service proposed to initiate proceedings for gross misconduct and I agreed with that proposal. In light of Mr Fedorcio's resignation today, those proceedings cannot now take place and I propose to publish our investigation report detailing our findings, in the next few days.’

The news follows Fedorcio being on a period of extended leave as the inquiry by the IPPC was carried out into the awarding of a PR consultancy contract to Wallis' company, Chamy Media.

In his Leveson Inquiry hearing on 13 March, Fedorcio admitted that he helped organise work experience placements at The Sun for both his own son and his former police commissioner's son while Rebekah Brooks (then Wade) was the editor.

This article was first published on prweek.com