The Metropolitan Police has been branded 'institutionally corrupt' by an independent panel investigating the murder of private detective Daniel Morgan in 1987. The panel also censured Commissioner Cressida Dick for obstructing its work, accusing the force of prioritising its reputation over confronting corruption.
Morgan, 37, was found dead with an axe in his head in a pub car park in Sydenham, south London. Despite five police investigations, no one has been convicted. The panel said the murder inquiry was likely 'solvable' but was undermined by corrupt officers protecting the killers.
The panel chair, Lady O'Loan, stated that the Met's first objective was to protect itself, compounding the family's suffering. She called for an apology, saying the force was not honest with the family or the public. The report described the Met's culture of obfuscation as 'institutional corruption'.
However, the Met rejected the report's findings within hours. Home Secretary Priti Patel and London Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed 'full confidence' in Commissioner Dick, despite the panel's criticism of her personal role in denying access to a key database for seven years.
Morgan's brother Alastair called for Dick to consider her position, but the Commissioner's top aide, Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave, indicated the force would weather the criticism. The panel's findings have been compared to the landmark Macpherson report on institutional racism in the Stephen Lawrence case.
