A senior police officer was told his business partner was "running with the Ungis" but claimed he dismissed the tip-off as "gossip", a misconduct panel heard.
Chief Inspector Stephen Rice was described as "flying too close to the sun" by pursuing lucrative property deals. He is facing six individual charges under the Police Conduct Regulations 2012 and 2020 which could mean the end of a distinguished 24-year career in Merseyside Police.
An independent panel heard the final pieces of evidence in a complex misconduct hearing at Merseyside Police HQ today, mainly revolving around his relationship with an allegedly crooked property developer, referred to as 'Mr A' for legal reasons. Mr A was later charged with fraud as part of a major Economic Crime Team investigation dubbed Operation Benadir.