Following a corruption investigation, a former Metropolitan Police officer appeared in court accused of using dead people’s bank card details to buy products and resell them.

Muhammed Mustafa Darr, 37, is also accused of stealing a laptop and a suitcase from the Mercedes of a suspect who had been apprehended by his colleagues.

He is also accused of searching for information about himself and others on police computer networks and encouraging a man to remove evidence linking him to an investigation.

Darr was charged with three counts of misconduct in a public office and one count of perverting the course of justice while working as a constable on a response unit between December 2018 and June 2020, following an investigation into alleged corruption.

When he came in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, he pulled a hood over his head and covered his face with a surgical mask, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, and address in Walthamstow, east London.

Darr, who was assigned to the Metropolitan Police Department’s North Area Basic Command Unit, was not asked to enter a plea to any of the allegations.

According to one of the misconduct accusations, he is accused of “abusing his position” to get credit/debit card information from deceased members of the public.

Darr allegedly used the information “to acquire or seek to acquire goods or money transfers for himself or others through fraud, and to sell on goods obtained through fraud.”

Another accusation of misconduct alleges that he exploited police computer systems to dig up information about himself and others “for no legitimate policing purpose.”

According to the third, he grabbed “a laptop computer and a bag and its contents” from the Mercedes of a suspect who had been apprehended by his colleagues.

Darr is also accused of perverting the course of justice between March 22 and June 6, 2020, by using his access to check on the status of a police investigation involving Asif Mushtaq.

Darr then “spoke to Ali Ikram and Asif Mushtaq, advising Asif Mushtaq to conceal or destroy evidence linking him to the investigation,” according to the allegation.

Darr was granted bail by District Judge Briony Clarke ahead of his next appearance at Southwark Crown Court on May 24 on the condition that he reside at his home address.

Darr was charged after an inquiry by the Met’s directorate of professional standards, which was overseen by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The Crown Prosecution Service then authorised criminal charges based on a file of evidence.