A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer who allegedly chanted IRA slogans at a staff party is to face a misconduct board.
A detective from the PSNI's Internal Investigation Branch was appointed to investigate complaints made after staff from one station held their annual Christmas party in a south Belfast hotel. Off-duty officers had been drinking heavily when the remarks were allegedly made.
Chief Constable Huge Orde, who was challenged on the affair at a Policing Board meeting, disclosed the developments in a letter to chairman Sir Desmond Rea.
He said: "The investigation has now concluded and the officer is to appear before a misconduct panel to answer alleged breaches of the Code of Ethics."
Mr Ian Paisley Jr, one of the Democratic Unionist representatives on the 19-member Policing Board, said: "I would expect the chief constable to inform the public of the outcome of this hearing. If this officer is found guilty he should be named and shamed."
It is understood the officer, from Derry, was among the first to be drafted in under plans to transform the overwhelmingly Protestant force and only joined the police service in the past two years.
PA