Leicestershire PC jetted off to Turkey after feigning illness
Hearing proves gross misconduct against former police constable
Last updated 24th Sep 2024
A police constable who reported in sick on the day he flew to Turkey for a week-long holiday would have been dismissed if still serving with the force, a disciplinary hearing has ruled.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said gross misconduct was proven against ex-Pc Raja Khan, who was arrested by waiting police when his return flight landed at London Stansted Airport on October 11 last year.
The misconduct finding against the former constable was made by a panel chaired by Leicestershire's Chief Constable last week, following a Leicestershire Police investigation directed by the IOPC.
Mr Khan, who resigned from the force in February, breached standards of professional behaviour governing honesty and integrity, confidentiality, orders and instructions, and discreditable conduct, the panel found.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the IOPC said the inquiry into the officer found that he reported in sick on October 5 while on a rest day, two days before his next shift.
Evidence also indicated that he flew out to Istanbul for a holiday the same evening.
On October 8 Pc Khan was contacted by his line manager and replied by text, saying he was too ill to work, and was given the out-of-hours number to call the sickness line and sent guidance to complete a sickness form, the IOPC said.
He then got a third party to access his police laptop back at home, submit the sickness form on his behalf and send an email from his work address to the line manager confirming this had all been done.
Commenting after the hearing, IOPC director of operations Steve Noonan said: "Pc Khan's behaviour fell well below the standards expected of a police officer.
"He was dishonest about his absence from work and compounded that by allowing an unauthorised person to access his police laptop.
"In doing so he failed to treat confidential information with respect.
"Such conduct has no place in policing and he will now be placed on the barred list preventing him from future employment with the service."
Pc Khan was arrested and interviewed on October 16, but a decision was made not to make a referral to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider criminal charges against the officer.