Dizaei's Met harrassment claims 'very serious'

13 April 2012

There were fears today that claims that top black police officers were harassed by the Metropolitan Police in a bid to discredit one of its senior members could harm the force's reputation.

Former Foreign Office minister Keith Vaz told the House of Commons the allegations made by Chief Superintendent Ali Dizaei in his new book, Not One Of Us, were "very serious".

In the book, Mr Dizaei gives a new account of his fight against charges of corruption, claiming his phone was tapped and that he was spied on.

He was also accused of drug abuse, using prostitutes and spying for Iran, according to the serialisation of the book in The Times newspaper.

Files belonging to the National Black Police Association (NBPA) were seized by Scotland Yard without a search warrant and accountants hired to examine the expenses of senior members, it claims.

The officer also says the NBPA was forced to hire out a hotel for a meeting because members were so concerned they were being bugged by police.

Scotland Yard has expressed its regret that Mr Dizaei has decided to go ahead and publish the book and Mr Vaz raised his concerns today in business questions to the Commons.

He described the allegations as "very serious" and warned: "This creates serious problems for the image of the Met."

Commons Leader Jack Straw said former Met Commissioner Sir Paul Condon and Sir John Stevens had addressed diversity issues within the force.

But he added: "Those who feel that the intelligence and security services have acted appropriately or unlawfully have a right to make strong representations and have those investigated by either the intelligence services commissioner or the interception commissioner."

London Mayor Ken Livingstone also weighed into the argument, and said successive Metropolitan Police commissioners had transformed the culture of policing in the capital.

But he also claimed that Mr Dizaei's career could have been affected by unfounded allegations by MI5.

He told BBC London 24.9: "I have to say I can always believe the worst of MI5 because they have always over-reacted with a scatter-gun approach."

Asked if he had ever been spied on, Mr Livingstone said he believed his phone had been bugged "all my life".

He claimed that when he was a leader of the Greater London Council (GLC) he could often hear spies replaying his phone conversations.

He said: "In the old days, with the old technology, back in the 1980s when I was leader of the GLC, I'd have a phone call, I'd put the phone down and picked it up right away and you'd hear them playing back the tape."

Mr Dizaei, now an officer commanding police in Hounslow, west London, writes scathingly in his book about the corruption investigation launched against him in 1999.

It finally ended when he was cleared of perverting the course of justice and misconduct in public office at the Old Bailey in 2003.

Scotland Yard has hit back at his claims with a strongly worded statement, arguing that disciplinary charges were dropped against him but that he received "words of advice".

These related to two areas where he acknowledged his conduct had fallen below the standards expected of a police officer, the statement said.

A spokeswoman added last night: "It is not our intention to comment on Chief Supt Dizaei's personal recollection and interpretation of specific events.

"We regret he chose to publish the book."

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