Former Police Federation vice-chair faces gross misconduct proceedings over alleged £1m fraud

Will Riches was trustee of a charity that received the money in an ‘unauthorised transfer’ in 2015

Will Riches was arrested after detectives were called in to scrutinise his books (PA)

The former vice-chair of the Police Federation is facing misconduct hearings over an alleged £1m fraud.

The Crown Prosecution Service previously decided there was insufficient evidence to bring charges against Will Riches, a Metropolitan Police constable who was arrested alongside three other officers in 2016.

Mr Riches was a trustee of a charity that received approximately £1m from the Constables’ Central Committee, a part of the Police Federation, three years ago.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said there was “no indication or allegation that the officer personally benefited financially in any way”, but added: “Following our investigation into allegations of fraud made by the Police Federation of England and Wales, a Metropolitan Police officer is to face gross misconduct proceedings.”

Three other officers investigated by Surrey Police over the case have been told they have no case to answer.

The Police Federation, a staff association that represents almost 123,000 officers, is considered one of the most powerful bodies in policing and frequently clashes with the government and senior leaders.

It has long been forced to defend itself against criticism over spending, bullying, infighting and accounting practices, while Theresa May threatened to dissolve the body and withdrew public funding in 2014 after representatives were involved in the “plebgate” scandal.

Mr Riches quit as vice-chair two days before being arrested in March 2016 and has since been ordered out of a flat inside the Police Federation’s £26m headquarters in Surrey.

A spokeswoman for the organisation said Mr Riches is no longer a representative and that the federation had itself contacted police over the “unauthorised transfer”.

“The IOPC advised us last week that they had concluded their investigation into allegations of fraudulent activity by a former individual of the Police Federation of England and Wales,” she added.

“We have fully cooperated with the police and the subsequent IOPC investigation into this matter and will continue to do so where needed.”

Mr Riches has been put on restricted duties but kept on full pay by the Metropolitan Police, which is carrying out its own gross misconduct investigation.