Seven police officers are suspended from duty while under investigation for allegations of gross misconduct and criminality.

Antoine Daniels, the assistant Commissioner of Police, who is in charge of crime, told The Royal Gazette last Wednesday: “The Bermuda Police Service can confirm that, as at today’s date, there are seven officers suspended from duty.

“Four of these officers are faced with criminal allegations, while three others face allegations of gross misconduct.

“The BPS take allegations of gross misconduct and criminality seriously and will continue investigations into these matters, following the guidance provided in the Police Conduct Orders 2016.”

Mr Daniels would not share details of the ongoing investigations. He added that information would only be disclosed if an officer was charged, convicted and/or dismissed.

Officers suspended from duty remain on full pay, under police regulations.

In January this year, there were six officers suspended because of allegations of gross misconduct and criminality.

At the time, the BPS said one of those officers had been suspended on full pay for the past three years while inquiries were carried out and a second had been off duty on full pay since March 2021. Both those matters were before the courts.

Of the other four cases, one officer was suspended in July 2022, two more were suspended in December 2023, and one officer was suspended in January 2024.

A police spokesman did not reveal details of the complaints filed against the officers or if they were linked but said only one suspension was directly connected to their role as a police officer.

It is not thought that assistant police commissioner Martin Weekes, who was served with internal gross misconduct papers last November, is among the seven suspended.

He has been on “varied” duties and last week was quoted in a BPS press release about a BBC TV series, which will focus on the police and coastguard.

Another senior officer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is also understood to be on varied duties, rather than suspended, while an investigation continues into the obtaining of a warrant to search the homes of lower-ranking officers Pc Robert Butterfield and Sergeant Mark Monk.

Police did not respond to a request for an update on the inquiries into Mr Weekes and the senior officer.