MET POLICE BOSS ADMITS MISTAKE OVER PLAGIARISM ROW

Sir Mark Rowley, Chief Constable of the Metropolitan Police, has admitted that his force made a mistake in the investigation of a reporter who had looked into plagiarism allegations against Cambridge professor Jason Arday, saying the Met "dropped the ball" during the inquiry. The admission came in a statement to BBC News on Monday.

Rowley acknowledged that the Met had launched an internal probe into the reporter’s claims but failed to follow proper procedures, leading to the error. He added that the investigation was not conducted with the level of diligence expected from a police force. The reporter had been scrutinising claims that Arday had plagiarised material in his academic work, a matter that has already led to Arday’s resignation from his position at the university. The Guardian reports that Arday claimed he was paid £1.4 million by a publisher for his memoir, adding to the controversy surrounding the plagiarism accusations.

The incident highlights the challenges police forces face when investigating allegations that touch on academic integrity and media scrutiny. It also underscores the seriousness of the plagiarism allegations against a prominent academic, which have already resulted in a resignation.

• Sir Mark Rowley admitted a mistake in the Met’s handling of the reporter’s investigation into Jason Arday’s plagiarism claims.
• The Met said it "dropped the ball" by not following proper investigative procedures.
• Arday, a Cambridge professor, resigned amid plagiarism accusations and claimed he was paid £1.4 million by a publisher for his memoir.

Read the original source for full detail available at BBC News src