Former Cambridgeshire Police officer failed to pay tax on £20,000 of Vinted sales
A former Cambridgeshire Police officer has been barred from police work after he was found not to have paid tax on £20,000 of Vinted sales.
Cambridgeshire Police said PC Price Awuah, who was based at the force HQ in Huntingdon, was found to have breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of Honesty and Integrity, Orders and Instructions, Duties and Responsibilities and Discreditable Conduct, amounting to gross misconduct.
A hearing heard it was alleged he received more than £20,000 through online sales over a five-year period between 2018 and 2023.
A report on the hearing said: “Allegation 4 concerns the former officer receiving over £20,000 from sales on Vinted and has failed to declare any taxable income to HMRC, nor has made any tax return showing the extra income.
“I am of the view that the officer would have known that any money made from ‘Vinted’ would be extra income and would therefore be declarable income for the purposes of tax. The officer made no such returns to HMRC declaring this extra income of over £20,000 between 2018 and 2023.
“I do not find that this was a mistake as he declares within his Reg 54 response and the conclusion I reach is that it was dishonest.”
The hearing was also told that the former PC was accused of failing to notify the force of his association with a convicted fraudster.
Chief Constable Simon Megicks, who chaired the hearing, said: “The behaviour identified in this case represents a serious breach of the standards expected of police officers. Policing relies on honesty, integrity and a clear commitment to following the rules and procedures that underpin public trust.
“The former officer’s actions fell well below those standards and risked bringing the service into disrepute. Such conduct is not acceptable in policing, and where it occurs, it is right that decisive action is taken to protect public confidence.”
The hearing, which was held at Lysander House in Tempsford on 22 June, concluded that had he not previously resigned, Price would have been dismissed. He will also be placed on the College of Policing’s barred list.