Overseas investigators have been brought in to look into an allegation of gross misconduct against a senior police officer.

Martin Weekes, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, was placed on restricted duties after being served with formal disciplinary papers, as reported last month.

Darrin Simons, the Commissioner of Police, told The Royal Gazette this week: “Given ACOP Weekes’s rank, suitably qualified overseas investigators have been engaged to investigate this allegation.”

He gave no further details on the alleged wrongdoing or timeline for the inquiry.

Sources familiar with the matter told the Gazette that the complaint involves WhatsApp exchanges from 2018 in which Mr Weekes was a participant.

A Court of Appeal judgment in March, in a civil case brought by an inspector who claimed that he was passed over unfairly for promotion, found that the messages were “potentially revealing … of a prejudiced mindset”.

Superintendent James Howard is acting in Mr Weekes’s position while the inquiry continues.

Mr Simons said: “Having acting positions within the BPS is a common occurrence.

“Given the staffing levels in the BPS, every abstraction has an impact. However, operational service delivery has not been impacted.

“The impact of abstraction of senior officers is most felt in the delivery of some of the strategic plans they hold, as well as on-call duties being shared by a smaller pool of persons.”