Police 'waterboarding' case referred to prosecutors

Published: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:02:00

The police watchdog for England and Wales has submitted its investigation into six officers suspended over allegations of "waterboarding" to prosecutors. A statement from the Independent Police Complaints Commission today confirmed the case file had been passed onto the crown prosecution service for a decision over whether any of the officers should be charged. The six officers from Enfield were suspended over the allegations which relate to a drugs raid in north London last November.

It is alleged the officers pushed the suspects' heads into buckets of water in an attempt to reveal the location of drugs. The Metropolitan police referred the case to the IPCC following the reports and today a statement was released confirming the case had now been handed on to the CPS. "The Independent Police Complaints Commission has completed its investigation into the conduct and actions of six police officers from the Enfield crime squad during the execution of two drugs warrants at addresses in north London on November 4th 2008," the statement declared.

"A file has now been passed to the crown prosecution service for a decision about whether any of the officers should be charged." Waterboarding is designed to simulate the sensation of drowning. It became hugely controversial after it emerged it had been used repeatedly on Guantanamo Bay detainees during interrogations.

The CPS said in a statement it was currently unable to make a decision on whether charges should be brought until the wider Met directorate of professional standards investigation was completed. The Met said it was unaware of any formal timeline for the completion of the investigation.

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