George Galloway pays libel damages to former aide over 'dirty tricks campaign' claims

Damages: George Galloway was forced to pay out in the libel case
Alex Lentati
Hannah Al-Othman20 June 2016

George Galloway has been forced to pay out an undisclosed sum in damages to a former aide over claims that she conspired to run a "dirty tricks" campaign against him.

Aisha Ali-Khan brought libel proceedings in London's High Court against the Respect Party leader after Mr Galloway published a statement on his website in October 2012.

The former London mayoral candidate has also agreed to pay Ms Ali-Khan's legal costs, and has apologised for his comments.

Ms Ali-Khan's solicitor, Mark Lewis, told Mr Justice Warby the statement said that a very senior officer in SO15 (Counter Terrorism Command) had been feeding disinformation aimed at damaging him to a national newspaper and to others.

He said that the officer had been aided by a member of staff in Bradford who had been suspended.

Libel claim: Aisha Ali-Khan 
Lewis Whyld/PA

Mr Lewis said on Monday that Mr Galloway stated that this conduct involved them using the officer's Metropolitan Police email account as well as creating two false email addresses to spread deceit.

"Four days later, the defendant's spokesman substantially repeated the claims to the Mail on Sunday which published an article stating that the claimant and the officer had conspired to run a dirty tricks campaign against the defendant and the Respect Party; that the claimant had been used as a police agent; and that the claimant had slept with the officer at the defendant's home."

Mr Lewis said Ms Ali-Khan had not been feeding disinformation or deceit to national newspapers or acting as a police agent and had not slept with the officer - whom she had married in a sharia law ceremony - at Mr Galloway's home.

Mr Galloway's counsel, Adam Speker, said he accepted that the article and interviews given by individuals for whom he bore responsibility in relation to Ms Ali-Khan contained defamatory accusations for which he apologised.

"He now withdraws these allegations. He has made a payment of damages for his defamatory comments and agreed to pay legal costs."

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