Met’s public affairs chief Dick Fedorcio resigns

Mr Fedorcio resigned after the Metropolitan Police decided to launch disciplinary proceedings against him over the award of a contract to an ex-News of the World executive, Neil Wallis.

An investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) concluded that Mr Fedorcio had a “case to answer” over the procurement of the contract.

Mr Wallis’s company Chamy Media was paid £24,000 by the Met for communications advice between October 2009 and September 2010.

Report

In a statement, the IPCC chair Deborah Glass said: “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.”