FORMER chief constable Pat Geenty has evaded facing allegations of misconduct by taking an early retirement while two other officers are due to face independent questioning.

Half-way through a nine-month investigation into his professional conduct, Mr Geenty announced he wanted to retire, despite regulations coming into force intended to prevent him from doing so.

As the regulations were not yet active, Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson was powerless to prevent the former chief from leaving, and has now admitted he is unable to bring Mr Geenty to task for the case he has to answer.

After contacting the complainants in the probe, which revolved around allegations of the mishandling of sexual abuse complaints from 2008 and 2009, Mr Macpherson said he no longer has any jurisdiction over the former school teacher as he is no longer a serving member of the force.

“Since receiving the IPCC report, which concluded that Mr Geenty had a case to answer for possible misconduct, I have carefully read and considered the findings and the associated evidence and have taken legal advice from a Queen’s Counsel who specialises in police law," said Mr Macpherson.

“Given that Mr Geenty retired on 28 June, as he was legally entitled to do, I am advised that I no longer have any jurisdiction over him. I am therefore unable to take any further action in relation to Mr Geenty arising from the IPCC report.

“I have written to Mr Geenty to say that, if he were still a serving police officer, I would have convened a misconduct meeting under Police Regulations to consider the allegation of misconduct against him, although a 'case to answer' is not, of course, synonymous with him being guilty of the allegation.

“I have also written to the two complainants individually.

“To satisfy myself that lessons have been learned by Wiltshire Police as a result of this regrettable case, I have asked Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary to carry out an inspection.

“I want to establish whether any investigation carried out today by Wiltshire Police into sexual abuse would conform to best professional practice.”

Chief Constable Mike Veale also responded to the police inspectorate in regard to an Inspector and Detective Constable also wrapped up in the proceedings.

He said: “As Appropriate Authority for the police officers, I have read the IPCC report and supporting documentation very carefully, including the recommendations outlined in the report which conclude that the officers have a potential case to answer for misconduct.

"Further to this, I have made the decision to convene a misconduct meeting for each of the two officers to consider the allegations against them.

“The process and procedure for a misconduct meeting is outlined in Police Regulations and will be led by an independent chair.”

From December 1, 2013, to August 1, 2014, 144 officers resigned or retired while subject to an investigation, preventing them from being held to account for their actions.

The Home Office now says a chief officer or PCC will now only be able to consent to an officer’s resignation or retirement if they are deemed medically unfit or in other exceptional circumstances, for example where a covert criminal investigation could be prejudiced.

These regulations aim to ensure that officers are held to account for their actions, that the truth can be established, that victims of police misconduct and their families are provided with justice and that the police learn the full lessons of each incidence of serious misconduct.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: “Direct damage has been done to public confidence by cases in which officers escaped justice by resigning or retiring where they might have been dismissed.

“The public expects police officers to act with the highest standards of integrity and for those suspected of misconduct to be subject to formal disciplinary proceedings.

“The ability of officers to avoid potential dismissal by resigning or retiring is an unacceptable situation. That is why I have introduced these reforms to ensure victims and their families are not denied the truth of police misconduct.”