Independent Office for Police Conduct

The complainant has requested, from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (the “IOPC”), information about an investigation it undertook in respect of allegations of corruption. The IOPC withheld the requested information citing the exemptions at sections 30(1)(a)(i) and 30(2) (Investigations and proceedings), and 40(2) (Personal information) of the FOIA (it later removed reliance on section 30(2)). During the Commissioner’s investigation, the IOPC accepted that some information, which is contained within nine reports, could be disclosed. The Commissioner agreed that the remainder was appropriately withheld under section 40(2) of FOIA. However, in failing to provide disclosable information by the completion of the internal review the Commissioner finds breaches of sections 10(1) and 1(1)(b). The Commissioner requires the IOPC to disclose the agreed text from within each of the nine reports.