Senior black officer cleared

Cleared: Ali Dizaei
13 April 2012

One of London's highest ranking black police officers was cleared of corruption today after what he claims was a four-year "witchhunt".

In an extraordinary trial at the Old Bailey, Superintendent Ali Dizaei was found not guilty of falsely accusing fellow officers of a racist plot.

After a marathon investigation, codenamed Operation Helios, by senior Scotland Yard figures proved fruitless, Crown lawyers took the decision not to proceed to a second trial over allegations that he had fiddled £500 on his expenses.

Police say £1.8 million was spent on the failed inquiry but there are some estimates that the final cost to the taxpayer of the Dizaei Affair will be nearer £7 million.

Mr Dizaei faced a jury on only two charges of falsely implicating fellow officers in a racist attack on his car to cover up his affairs with three women. The Crown claimed the car had been parked outside the David Lloyd gym near Gloucester Road Tube station and the true vandal was an irate husband or boyfriend.

Mr Dizaei admitted in court he had lied to officers but stuck to his story that the car had been attacked outside Kensington police station. The jury cleared him of both charges.

The climbdown is only the latest in a series of high-profile failures recently, including the trial of royal butler Paul Burrell, sex charges against former Blue Peter presenter John Leslie and child internet porn allegations against Soham police officer Brian Stevens.

As a result, lawyers and senior officers are now asking: Is there a damaging rift between the Crown prosecutors and police?

Mr Dizaei, a father of two, was invited to No10 to give Tony Blair advice on policing and was once tipped to be a future chief constable. He claims he was unjustly targeted solely because of his success in the force and outspoken views on race and police policy. He had been under investigation since September 1999 and was suspended from duty in January 2001, but because of legal restrictions the full story can only now be reported.

Outside court, Mr Dizaei said: "I feel absolutely relieved and delighted that I have been unequivocally acquitted of all the allegations that have been made." The Yard, fired by Commissioner Sir John Stevens's promise to purge corruption, had mounted a relentless crusade for evidence which engulfed law officers on two continents, ministers, MPs and hundreds of witnesses. More than 100 investigating officers from the Met were involved.

So were MI5, the Inland Revenue, Special Branch, the National Crime Intelligence Squad, America's Drugs Enforcement Agency, Beverly Hills police and even the Canadian Mounties.

He was investigated over 30 allegations of corruption, including cocaine and steroid abuse, consorting with prostitutes and a criminal gang, and threatening national security through links to Iranian and Liberian diplomats. Defence barrister Michael Mansfield-QC said: "It is difficult to pinpoint who was behind it but forces in the Met were... hostile and disturbed by Mr Dizaei.

"He was seen as ambitious, too close to the community he served, especially the Iranian sector, and far too critical of the Met and its policies on race after the Macpherson Report into the Stephen Lawrence investigation. What has happened is of almost Orwellian proportions. It became a witchhunt."

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen House angrily denied there had been a witchhunt and said the trial judge had stressed the case - which had been monitored by the CPS, HM Inspectorate of police and independent-bodies - had been properly run. "It may have cost a lot of money but what cost do you put on senior police officers whose integrity is in doubt? That is not subject to negotiation and I make no apology for spending money on that," said Mr House.

Mr Dizaei still faces internal disciplinary proceedings which could cost him his career, and he is one of at least 10 people preparing to bring legal action against the Met.

Iranian-born Mr Dizaei, 42, had come to Britain in 1973 and quickly risen through the ranks to become Superintendent ( Operations) at Kensington and Chelsea.

In an unusual move aimed at deflecting criticism of the inquiry, the Met set up an independent advisory group, including a range of professionals from outside the force, to oversee the investigation.

The group's chairman, Beverley Thompson, today issued a statement saying: "The group believes that the MPS has acted responsibly and proportionately in very difficult circumstances and the group recognises the painful, lengthy and difficult process that it has been for Supt Dizaei and the MPS."

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