Ex-Met Police officer guilty of collecting ‘Egunje’

A former Metropolitan police officer has been dismissed for receiving bribe.

In colloquial terms, bribe is dubbed ‘Egunje’ in predominantly the western part of Nigeria.

According to reports gathered, the police officer has been found guilty of taking bribes while policing London’s West End bars and clubs.

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Ex-Sgt Frank Partridge, 50, was convicted by jurors of four counts of bribery.

Jurors found he accepted a £7,000 luxury family holiday to Morocco, house renovations and tickets to exclusive events between 2013 and 2015.

Partridge is set to be sentenced on 17 July.

He was cleared of a further count of bribery and admitted three others at an earlier stage in the case.

Southwark Crown Court heard he was working with Westminster’s licensing unit at the time of the offences.

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He was responsible for consulting with the local authority over applications for licensed premises and supervising venues to ensure they were complying with conditions.

Jurors heard Partridge, who left the Met in 2016, formed an “unprofessional and inappropriately close” relationship with people linked to West End nightclubs and security firms.

Prosecutor Philip Evans KC told jurors at the start of the trial: “Those relationships directly benefited Frank Partridge financially and the individuals because they had someone with Frank Partridge’s powers in their pocket.”

Partridge “developed and he nurtured” relationships with those he was charged with policing “for his own benefit and, in turn, for their benefit”, and there was “no sensible” explanation for what was happening, Mr Evans KC said.

In his defence, the former officer told jurors he believed his work was “always impartial”.

Four other people were also found guilty of bribery and are set to be sentenced on 21 September.

Two other people were cleared of all wrongdoing.

Following the verdict Commander James Harman, of the Met’s anti-corruption and abuse command, said it had been “the case of an officer abusing his position of trust and responsibility for personal gain”.

“What has happened here is that Frank Partridge has been motivated by greed and by self-interest.

“He has accepted bribes that he has allowed to influence how he does his duty – that is corruption and that is why we are pleased to see the verdict today.”