A Metropolitan Police officer has become the first person to be charged as a result of a BBC Panorama investigation into alleged misconduct at Charing Cross police station in London.

Sgt Sadiq Al-Hasani, 37, has been charged with perverting the course of justice.

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Met Police said the charge related to an allegation Sgt Al-Hasani, who was attached to Central West Command Unit, “deliberately sought to discourage another officer from making a statement to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)”.

The IOPC had begun an investigation following the broadcast on 1 October 2025 of BBC Panorama – Undercover in the Police.

As part of the programme, a BBC journalist went undercover working in the custody suite, secretly filming a number of officers making racist comments and bragging about violence used against suspects.

Al-Hasani was charged on 13 August in relation to an incident on 2 October 2025.

In a statement, the IOPC said Sgt Al-Hasani allegedly approached a junior officer, who was a potential key witness in the wider Charing Cross investigation, with the intention to obstruct or interfere with the probe.

He remains suspended from duty, the Met said.

The IOPC began its investigation after a mandatory conduct referral from the Met on 3 October.

As part of this, the IOPC reviewed footage gathered as part of the programme which was not broadcast.

Its investigation finished in June, at which point it decided to refer a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service.

According to the IOPC, 15 officers have been found to have committed gross misconduct. All except one of the 15, a former PC, have been barred from policing.

Investigations continue into the conduct of a further 14 officers or police staff.