Former police sergeant and seven others charged with bribery offences

Rosemary Ainslie, Head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said:
 
“The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Frank Partridge, 48, a former Metropolitan Police Sergeant in the Westminster police licensing unit, and seven business owners and night club operators, with conspiracy to commit bribery between 1st February 2013 and 25th June 2015.
 
“The CPS Special Crime Division authorised the charges following a detailed review of the evidence.
 
“Their first court appearance will take place on 21 December 2021 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
 
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendants are active and that they have the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
 
The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider.

The CPS assessment of any case is not in any sense a finding of, or implication of, any guilt or criminal conduct. It is not a finding of fact, which can only be made by a court, but rather an assessment of what it might be possible to prove to a court, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.