Ali Dizaei
Encyclopedia
Jamshid Ali Dizaei is a Commander in London's Metropolitan Police Service
. Iran
ian-born with dual nationality, and formerly one of Britain's most senior Muslim police officers, he came to prominence as a result of his outspoken views on racial discrimination in the London Metropolitan Police and various allegations of malpractice on his part, eventually being jailed for perverting the course of justice
in February 2010. He had received advancement after his criticism of the force following his claims of racism. He has been a frequent media commentator on a variety of issues, mainly concerned with ethnicity and religion.
In April 2008, he was promoted to Commander, in charge of West London. In August 2008, he was awarded the Long Service Good Conduct Medal by the then-Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair.
On 8 February 2010, he was convicted at Southwark Crown Court
on charges of perverting the course of justice
and of misconduct in a public office, and jailed for four years. He had been suspended on full pay since September 2008 and on 31 March 2010 was formally dismissed from the Metropolitan Police.
He was initially imprisoned at HMP Edmunds Hill
, Suffolk but after an attack was moved to HMP Usk
.
On 16 May 2011, Dizaei's appeal against this conviction was successful and the conviction was quashed. In the Court of Appeal Lord Justice Hughes said that the court "simply [did] not know whether this conviction is soundly based or not". He continued, "In those circumstances we are driven to the conclusion that it cannot be regarded as safe." Dizaei is expected to face a retrial later this year. His comment after his release was that he "left prison with his integrity completely intact". He described his experience in prison as 'hell', and likened it to 'putting your hand in a wasps nest'. He has vowed to clear his name and rejoin Scotland Yard.
In September 2011 Dizaei was successful in an appeal against his dismissal from the Metropolitan Police, since his conviction had been quashed by the Court of Appeal. However he did not return to duty, but remained suspended pending his forthcoming retrial in the Crown Court on charges of perverting the course of justice.
, Iran
where his father was a deputy commissioner of police
. He moved to the UK in 1973. He was educated at Slindon College a private boarding school in Arundel
, West Sussex
; this was the wish of his father, who believed that the only way his sons would truly succeed was through a good British education. Dizaei studied law at university, gaining a BA (Hons) and LLM in Law from City University London and a diploma in policing from Cambridge University
later gaining a PhD
from Brunel University
and joined Thames Valley Police
in 1986. He served in Henley-on-Thames
, in uniform and the Criminal Investigation Department
, rising to the rank of Chief Inspector
. He was appointed an adviser on race issues to the Home Secretary
, and then transferred to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on promotion to Superintendent
on 29 March 1999 as a staff officer to Assistant Commissioner
Ian Johnston
. On 17 May 1999 he was transferred to Kensington
police station and on 3 April 2000 became Superintendent Operations there. He was already outspoken on race issues, first coming to media attention in November 1999 for his criticism of questions asked in promotion exams.
, and spying for Iran. There were counter-allegations by his supporters that the investigation was prompted by the belief of some senior officers that he was too ambitious, too critical of the police (particularly relating to racism), too close to the Iranian community, too flamboyant, visited expensive nightclubs and had an open marriage
, none of which endeared him to other officers. The investigations, codenamed Operation Helios, cost £7 million and involved over 50 officers. It was the most expensive operation against a single officer in the history of Scotland Yard.
Dizaei was suspended on 18 January 2001. He was charged with perverting the course of justice
, misconduct in public office, and submitting false mileage expense claims.
Dizaei was tried before the Recorder of London for misconduct in public office and perverting the course of justice. This arose out of an incident which occurred on 6 September 2000. The jury cleared Dizaei of the charges on 15 September 2003. The Crown Prosecution Service
decided not to proceed with the charges of making false mileage expense claims. He was welcomed back by Commissioner Sir John Stevens.
The National Black Police Association (NBPA), of which Dizaei was at the time national president (having previously been vice-chairman and 'legal adviser'), called for an independent inquiry into the MPS's investigation. The Morris Inquiry headed by Lord Morris concluded that the investigation was disproportionate, unfocused and that the officer's race played a part in the manner in which the investigation was conducted.
In 2004, the Independent Police Complaints Commission
(IPCC) described Operation Helios as having been "seriously flawed". Dizaei eventually faced a minor disciplinary action, having been cleared of all criminal charges. The MPS issued a public statement that Dizaei returned to work with his "integrity demonstrably intact".
Dizaei was promoted to Chief Superintendent
in May 2004 and became Borough Commander of Hounslow
and later Borough Commander of Hammersmith and Fulham
. In 2006 he was in the headlines again for criticising the Forest Gate raid
and passenger profiling on aircraft. The Police Federation
has accused him of "blissful ignorance" for the latter.
In December 2006, it was made public that during Operation Helios the MPS had unlawfully tapped
over 3,500 private calls made by Dizaei. The ruling was made by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal after referral by the NBPA.
In 2008, Dizaei commenced Employment Tribunal proceedings against Catherine Crawford (the Chief Executive of the Metropolitan Police Authority), Sir Paul Stephenson and others, claiming that they had specifically targeted him for being an outspoken critic of their record on race and for Dizaei supporting Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur in his race discrimination claim against Paul Stephenson and Ian Blair. The claim is on-going and due to be heard in the near future.
and in The Times
.
In June 2007, Sir Ian Blair
apologised for Operation Helios, after the MPS and the NBPA agreed to resolve disputes arising out of Helios.
In March 2008, and at the third attempt, Dizaei was promoted to the rank of Commander.
On 12 September 2008 the MPS announced that Dizaei was the subject of a complaint alleging that he had improperly provided advice to solicitors defending a woman accused over a fatal hit-and-run accident. The Metropolitan Police Authority is to investigate the alleged misconduct, which Dizaei denies.
Dizaei claimed that this was a malicious complaint brought about by Lord MacKenzie to further his business interests. MacKenzie was rebuked by the Black Rod for using the House of Lords letterhead to make his complaint against Dizaei.
On 21 May 2009, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that Dizaei faced two criminal charges. He was again charged with perverting the course of justice and misconduct in a public office. The charges related to the incident (above) in which Dizaei had arrested Waad al-Baghdadi. A decision not to charge that individual was made by the CPS in August 2008. In a statement, the NBPA said: "It is outrageous that the CPS, for the second time in four years, has commenced prosecution against the president of the National Black Police Association, Commander Ali Dizaei. This has not happened to any other senior police officer in the history of the MPS or the CPS."
The matter duly came to trial in the Crown Court at Southwark in January 2010 before the Hon Mr Justice Simon, with Dizaei facing counts of misconduct in a public office and perverting the course of justice
.
On 8 February 2010, Dizaei was found guilty on both counts, and jailed for four years. On 22 June 2010 he was duly refused leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division. He had sought to appeal against both conviction and sentence. The grounds of the proposed appeal were that al-Baghdadi had used a false name and nationality.
On 16 May 2011, the Court of Appeal granted leave to appeal and allowed the appeal, quashing the convictions. Lord Justice Hughes, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal said that the court "simply [did] not know whether this conviction is soundly based or not". He continued, "In those circumstances we are driven to the conclusion that it cannot be regarded as safe." A re-trial was ordered. Dizaei was released with immediate effect.
Dizaei has subsequently vowed to clear his name and rejoin Scotland Yard as a Commander.
On 27 June 2011, the key witness in the quashed conviction of Dizaei, Waad Al-Baghdadi, was charged with benefit fraud (in excess of £21,000), which included false disability claims in the name of his deceased father.
On 3 July 2011, the Sunday Times reported that the police intimidated a young Muslim woman to withdraw her allegation of rape against Waad Al-Baghdadi.
and the Evening Standard
over a defamatory article published in June 2008. The newspapers were forced to issue an apology and pay substantial costs and damages. On receipt of the apology he issued further proceedings against the Daily Mail for an allegedly defamatory article published in September 2008 suggesting that Dizaei advised a lawyer over a criminal case.
for allegations arising from an investigation by Mazher Mahmood
. The paper backed down and apologised in the face of legal action from Dizaei, after Mahmood claimed the officer "employed an illegal immigrant as his right-hand man and took him to the heart of the British establishment." It also admitted breaching Mrs Dizaei's right to privacy by publishing her private pictures. The paper paid Ace Bakhtyari, who was subsequently jailed for having a fake passport and deported from the UK.
to Natalie Downing. He has three sons by her; Kamran, Kayvon, and Kourosh. Dizaei and Downing were married for 19 years, divorcing in 2005. His current wife is Shahameh, known as Shy, whom he married in August 2007 in Ealing
. He has adopted her son Erfan.
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
. Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian-born with dual nationality, and formerly one of Britain's most senior Muslim police officers, he came to prominence as a result of his outspoken views on racial discrimination in the London Metropolitan Police and various allegations of malpractice on his part, eventually being jailed for perverting the course of justice
Perverting the course of justice
Perverting the course of justice, in English, Canadian , and Irish law, is a criminal offence in which someone prevents justice from being served on himself or on another party...
in February 2010. He had received advancement after his criticism of the force following his claims of racism. He has been a frequent media commentator on a variety of issues, mainly concerned with ethnicity and religion.
In April 2008, he was promoted to Commander, in charge of West London. In August 2008, he was awarded the Long Service Good Conduct Medal by the then-Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair.
On 8 February 2010, he was convicted at Southwark Crown Court
Southwark Crown Court
Southwark Crown Court is one of three Crown Court buildings in London SE1, along with Inner London Crown Court and Blackfriars Crown Court.Opened in 1983, the brick building is located close to the River Thames at the south of London Bridge, next to Hay's Galleria...
on charges of perverting the course of justice
Perverting the course of justice
Perverting the course of justice, in English, Canadian , and Irish law, is a criminal offence in which someone prevents justice from being served on himself or on another party...
and of misconduct in a public office, and jailed for four years. He had been suspended on full pay since September 2008 and on 31 March 2010 was formally dismissed from the Metropolitan Police.
He was initially imprisoned at HMP Edmunds Hill
Edmunds Hill (HM Prison)
HM Prison Highpoint North is a Category C men's prison, located in the village of Stradishall in Suffolk, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
, Suffolk but after an attack was moved to HMP Usk
Usk (HM Prison)
HM Prison Usk is a Category C men's prison, located in Usk, Monmouthshire, Wales. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service, and jointly managed with the nearby HMP Prescoed.-History:...
.
On 16 May 2011, Dizaei's appeal against this conviction was successful and the conviction was quashed. In the Court of Appeal Lord Justice Hughes said that the court "simply [did] not know whether this conviction is soundly based or not". He continued, "In those circumstances we are driven to the conclusion that it cannot be regarded as safe." Dizaei is expected to face a retrial later this year. His comment after his release was that he "left prison with his integrity completely intact". He described his experience in prison as 'hell', and likened it to 'putting your hand in a wasps nest'. He has vowed to clear his name and rejoin Scotland Yard.
In September 2011 Dizaei was successful in an appeal against his dismissal from the Metropolitan Police, since his conviction had been quashed by the Court of Appeal. However he did not return to duty, but remained suspended pending his forthcoming retrial in the Crown Court on charges of perverting the course of justice.
Early life and career to 2000
Dizaei was born in TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
where his father was a deputy commissioner of police
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
. He moved to the UK in 1973. He was educated at Slindon College a private boarding school in Arundel
Arundel
Arundel is a market town and civil parish in the South Downs of West Sussex in the south of England. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Worthing east southeast, Littlehampton to the south and Bognor Regis to...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
; this was the wish of his father, who believed that the only way his sons would truly succeed was through a good British education. Dizaei studied law at university, gaining a BA (Hons) and LLM in Law from City University London and a diploma in policing from Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
later gaining a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Brunel University
Brunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
and joined Thames Valley Police
Thames Valley Police
Thames Valley Police, formerly known as Thames Valley Constabulary, is the territorial police force responsible for policing the Thames Valley area covered by the ceremonial counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire....
in 1986. He served in Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
, in uniform and the Criminal Investigation Department
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
, rising to the rank of Chief Inspector
Chief inspector
Chief inspector is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police .-Australia:...
. He was appointed an adviser on race issues to the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, and then transferred to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on promotion to Superintendent
Superintendent (police)
Superintendent , often shortened to "super", is a rank in British police services and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries the full version is superintendent of police...
on 29 March 1999 as a staff officer to Assistant Commissioner
Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, usually just Assistant Commissioner , is the third highest rank in London's Metropolitan Police, ranking below Deputy Commissioner and above Deputy Assistant Commissioner. There are usually four officers in the rank...
Ian Johnston
Ian Johnston (police officer)
Sir William Ian Ridley Johnston, CBE, QPM, DL was the Chief Constable of British Transport Police. He became Chief Constable on 1 May 2001 when he succeeded David Williams QPM, who had served as Chief Constable for three and a half years....
. On 17 May 1999 he was transferred to Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
police station and on 3 April 2000 became Superintendent Operations there. He was already outspoken on race issues, first coming to media attention in November 1999 for his criticism of questions asked in promotion exams.
Operation HELIOS
From 2000, Dizaei was investigated by the force after allegations of taking bribes, using drugs and prostitutesProstitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, and spying for Iran. There were counter-allegations by his supporters that the investigation was prompted by the belief of some senior officers that he was too ambitious, too critical of the police (particularly relating to racism), too close to the Iranian community, too flamboyant, visited expensive nightclubs and had an open marriage
Open marriage
Open marriage typically refers to a marriage in which the partners agree that each may engage in extramarital sexual relationships, without this being regarded as infidelity. There are many different styles of open marriage, with the partners having varying levels of input on their spouse's...
, none of which endeared him to other officers. The investigations, codenamed Operation Helios, cost £7 million and involved over 50 officers. It was the most expensive operation against a single officer in the history of Scotland Yard.
Dizaei was suspended on 18 January 2001. He was charged with perverting the course of justice
Perverting the course of justice
Perverting the course of justice, in English, Canadian , and Irish law, is a criminal offence in which someone prevents justice from being served on himself or on another party...
, misconduct in public office, and submitting false mileage expense claims.
Dizaei was tried before the Recorder of London for misconduct in public office and perverting the course of justice. This arose out of an incident which occurred on 6 September 2000. The jury cleared Dizaei of the charges on 15 September 2003. The Crown Prosecution Service
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
decided not to proceed with the charges of making false mileage expense claims. He was welcomed back by Commissioner Sir John Stevens.
The National Black Police Association (NBPA), of which Dizaei was at the time national president (having previously been vice-chairman and 'legal adviser'), called for an independent inquiry into the MPS's investigation. The Morris Inquiry headed by Lord Morris concluded that the investigation was disproportionate, unfocused and that the officer's race played a part in the manner in which the investigation was conducted.
Racial discrimination claims
Dizaei brought his own claim for racial discrimination in the conduct of the investigations by the MPS. This was withdrawn in 2003 after the MPS paid him a reported £80,000 and reinstated him.In 2004, the Independent Police Complaints Commission
Independent Police Complaints Commission
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is a non-departmental public body in England and Wales responsible for overseeing the system for handling complaints made against police forces in England and Wales.-Role:...
(IPCC) described Operation Helios as having been "seriously flawed". Dizaei eventually faced a minor disciplinary action, having been cleared of all criminal charges. The MPS issued a public statement that Dizaei returned to work with his "integrity demonstrably intact".
Dizaei was promoted to Chief Superintendent
Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
in May 2004 and became Borough Commander of Hounslow
London Borough of Hounslow
-Political composition:Since the borough was formed it has been controlled by the Labour Party on all but two occasions. In 1968 the Conservatives formed a majority for the first and last time to date until they lost control to Labour in 1971. Labour subsequently lost control of the council in the...
and later Borough Commander of Hammersmith and Fulham
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is a London borough in West London, and forms part of Inner London. Traversed by the east-west main roads of the A4 Great West Road and the A40 Westway, many international corporations have offices in the borough....
. In 2006 he was in the headlines again for criticising the Forest Gate raid
2 June 2006 Forest Gate raid
The 2 June 2006 Forest Gate raid saw the arrest of two men at their east London homes in Forest Gate by police acting on what they described as "specific intelligence" that they might be terrorists in possession of a chemical bomb. One of the men was shot during the raid. No explosive devices were...
and passenger profiling on aircraft. The Police Federation
Police Federation of England and Wales
The Police Federation of England and Wales is the representative body to which all police officers in England and Wales up to and including the rank of Chief Inspector belong. There are 141,000 members as of July 2009...
has accused him of "blissful ignorance" for the latter.
In December 2006, it was made public that during Operation Helios the MPS had unlawfully tapped
Telephone tapping
Telephone tapping is the monitoring of telephone and Internet conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitoring connection was an actual electrical tap on the telephone line...
over 3,500 private calls made by Dizaei. The ruling was made by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal after referral by the NBPA.
In 2008, Dizaei commenced Employment Tribunal proceedings against Catherine Crawford (the Chief Executive of the Metropolitan Police Authority), Sir Paul Stephenson and others, claiming that they had specifically targeted him for being an outspoken critic of their record on race and for Dizaei supporting Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur in his race discrimination claim against Paul Stephenson and Ian Blair. The claim is on-going and due to be heard in the near future.
Not One of Us
In March 2007, Dizaei published Not One of Us, an account of his police career to date, and of the Operation Helios investigation. Prior to publication, the MPS issued a statement noting that it "considers it a matter of regret that Chief Superintendent Dizaei has felt it necessary to write this book", and reiterating its support for the Helios team. Upon release the book was serialised on BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
and in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
.
In June 2007, Sir Ian Blair
Ian Blair
Ian Warwick Blair, Baron Blair of Boughton, QPM is a retired British Police officer who held the position of commissioner of police of the metropolis from 2005 to 2008 and was the highest ranking officer within the Metropolitan Police Service.On 2 October 2008 Blair announced that he would...
apologised for Operation Helios, after the MPS and the NBPA agreed to resolve disputes arising out of Helios.
In March 2008, and at the third attempt, Dizaei was promoted to the rank of Commander.
On 12 September 2008 the MPS announced that Dizaei was the subject of a complaint alleging that he had improperly provided advice to solicitors defending a woman accused over a fatal hit-and-run accident. The Metropolitan Police Authority is to investigate the alleged misconduct, which Dizaei denies.
Dizaei claimed that this was a malicious complaint brought about by Lord MacKenzie to further his business interests. MacKenzie was rebuked by the Black Rod for using the House of Lords letterhead to make his complaint against Dizaei.
Yas Restaurant and criminal convictions
Dizaei was suspended again on 18 September 2008 after being investigated for various allegations including an arrest he made on 18 July 2008 outside his uncle's West London restaurant. A 24-year-old web designer, Waad al-Baghdadi, claimed that Dizaei had not paid £600 for a website he had commissioned and when Baghdadi confronted him about this, a public quarrel ensued. Dizaei arrested Baghdadi, who later made a complaint which was investigated by the IPCC.On 21 May 2009, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that Dizaei faced two criminal charges. He was again charged with perverting the course of justice and misconduct in a public office. The charges related to the incident (above) in which Dizaei had arrested Waad al-Baghdadi. A decision not to charge that individual was made by the CPS in August 2008. In a statement, the NBPA said: "It is outrageous that the CPS, for the second time in four years, has commenced prosecution against the president of the National Black Police Association, Commander Ali Dizaei. This has not happened to any other senior police officer in the history of the MPS or the CPS."
The matter duly came to trial in the Crown Court at Southwark in January 2010 before the Hon Mr Justice Simon, with Dizaei facing counts of misconduct in a public office and perverting the course of justice
Perverting the course of justice
Perverting the course of justice, in English, Canadian , and Irish law, is a criminal offence in which someone prevents justice from being served on himself or on another party...
.
On 8 February 2010, Dizaei was found guilty on both counts, and jailed for four years. On 22 June 2010 he was duly refused leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division. He had sought to appeal against both conviction and sentence. The grounds of the proposed appeal were that al-Baghdadi had used a false name and nationality.
On 16 May 2011, the Court of Appeal granted leave to appeal and allowed the appeal, quashing the convictions. Lord Justice Hughes, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal said that the court "simply [did] not know whether this conviction is soundly based or not". He continued, "In those circumstances we are driven to the conclusion that it cannot be regarded as safe." A re-trial was ordered. Dizaei was released with immediate effect.
Dizaei has subsequently vowed to clear his name and rejoin Scotland Yard as a Commander.
On 27 June 2011, the key witness in the quashed conviction of Dizaei, Waad Al-Baghdadi, was charged with benefit fraud (in excess of £21,000), which included false disability claims in the name of his deceased father.
On 3 July 2011, the Sunday Times reported that the police intimidated a young Muslim woman to withdraw her allegation of rape against Waad Al-Baghdadi.
Reinstatement
On Friday 1 October 2011, Dizaei was reinstated after a secret Police Appeals Tribunal meeting that resulted in a unanimous decision in favor of his reinstatement to the rank of Commander in the Metropolitan Police. However, it was decided by the MPA that Dizaei would be suspended on full pay. Dizaei has publicly stated that he will appeal that decision and would rather work for his salary and has claimed that there still many jobs he can help to perform until his trial early next year.Defamation proceedings
In September 2009 Dizaei won a High Court action against the Daily MailDaily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
and the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
over a defamatory article published in June 2008. The newspapers were forced to issue an apology and pay substantial costs and damages. On receipt of the apology he issued further proceedings against the Daily Mail for an allegedly defamatory article published in September 2008 suggesting that Dizaei advised a lawyer over a criminal case.
Allegations of credit card misuse
In September 2008 he was accused by the Metropolitan Police Authority of using his corporate credit card inappropriately and his conduct was investigated by the Chief Constable of Dorset and the IPCC. Dizaei maintained that the allegations were without foundation. On 20 November 2009, after a 14-month investigation the IPCC found no evidence of dishonesty or impropriety. The IPCC managed investigation revealed that Dizaei was in fact owed £1,850, which was repaid to him by the Metropolitan Police AuthorityNews of the World payment and apology
On 27 December 2009, Dizaei accepted a substantial payment and an apology from the News of the WorldNews of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
for allegations arising from an investigation by Mazher Mahmood
Mazher Mahmood
Mazher Mahmood is an undercover reporter with The Sunday Times newspaper. He previously spent 20 years working for the defunct British tabloid newspaper News of the World. He has been dubbed as "Britain’s most notorious undercover reporter."...
. The paper backed down and apologised in the face of legal action from Dizaei, after Mahmood claimed the officer "employed an illegal immigrant as his right-hand man and took him to the heart of the British establishment." It also admitted breaching Mrs Dizaei's right to privacy by publishing her private pictures. The paper paid Ace Bakhtyari, who was subsequently jailed for having a fake passport and deported from the UK.
Phone hacking
Between 2000 - 2001 Andy Hayman (former Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police) ordered that 3,500 of Dizaei's telephone calls should be intercepted and transcribed as part of Operation Helios. In 2006, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal ruled that the 3,500 calls were 'unlawfully' intercepted. The then-Commissioner Ian Blair apologised and many members of the public were paid substantial damages for the breach of their privacy. On 20 May 2011, Dizaei was once again informed that he may have been subject to phone hacking by News of the World.Publications and speeches
Dizaei has frequently written articles about policing for police journals and national newspapers. He has covered various policing topics, these include: Sudden Care for our Morale and Force for Change. His speeches and comments in the media include: Passenger Profiling at Airports and comments made about the Forest Gate Shooting. He once referred to racial profiling as being synonymous with a fictitious offence of "travelling whilst Asian".Personal life
He was married in August 1986 in Reading, BerkshireReading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
to Natalie Downing. He has three sons by her; Kamran, Kayvon, and Kourosh. Dizaei and Downing were married for 19 years, divorcing in 2005. His current wife is Shahameh, known as Shy, whom he married in August 2007 in Ealing
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
. He has adopted her son Erfan.
Further reading
- Not One of Us: The Trial that Changed Policing in Britain Forever, by Ali Dizaei & Tim Phillips, March 2007