UK Police officer fired for attempting to smuggle Ghanaian child

A UK Metropolitan Police Officer has been dismissed for attempting to smuggle a Ghanaian child into the country, knowing the child’s mother was facing extradition on serious fraud charges.

Police Constable (PC) Bright Shine-Sedziafa, who served in the West Area Command Unit, was found guilty of gross misconduct after a Metropolitan Police hearing that uncovered his role in facilitating the child's entry and falsifying border documents.

PC Shine-Sedziafa reportedly met the child’s mother, referred to as Mrs C, at a relative’s home in late 2022, shortly before travelling to Ghana for his father’s funeral.

During this trip, arrangements were finalised for the child to be brought to the UK, with PC Shine-Sedziafa signing the necessary forms and coordinating travel. He claimed he agreed to transport the child as a favour, denying any knowledge of the mother’s legal issues or receipt of financial rewards.

Evidence presented at the misconduct hearing revealed a network of coordination involving PC Shine-Sedziafa, his wife, Ms Confidence Haugen (his cousin), Mrs C, her boyfriend - Mr Richard Quaye, and the child’s grandmother.

WhatsApp exchanges detailed the plan, including photos of expired passports and a draft minor travel consent form. Payment transactions were traced to PC Shine-Sedziafa, including £800 and 1,300 Ghanaian cedis for immigration expenses.

Grandmother

The journey began on December 20, 2022, when the child was taken to the airport by her grandmother and uncle, with additional assistance from a man identified as 'Mr Smith' to handle visa matters.

The group managed to pass through immigration and enter the UK via Amsterdam. However, UK officials flagged concerns about the documents upon arrival and questioned PC Shine-Sedziafa and his wife, who had arrived to receive the child.

During the interview at the airport, immigration officers raised the issue of Mrs C’s pending extradition to the US for fraud. 

Electronic tag

PC Shine-Sedziafa initially admitted awareness of her electronic tag but then deflected questions about it. He was later arrested and taken in for questioning on December 21, 2022, where he largely refrained from answering, offering only a prepared statement and denying any wrongdoing.

The misconduct panel found inconsistencies in PC Shine-Sedziafa’s statements, including his denial of knowing about Mrs C’s extradition. Records later confirmed that he was aware of her legal situation, and he falsely claimed in an April 2023 witness statement that he was unaware of her police tag.