Community relations 'damaged' by Dizaei conviction

Tuesday, 9 February 2010 12:00 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

Brian Paddick has accused the Home Office of involvement in earlier failed investigations of disgraced Metropolitan police commander Ali Dizaei.

The former London mayoral candidate, himself an ex-deputy assistant commissioner of the Met, said Dizaei's four-year jail sentence yesterday had damaged racial relations in Britain's police forces.

He suggested the wave of political correctness which swept over the Met in the wake of the Stephen Lawrence case could have protected Dizaei, who was cleared of corruption charges in 2003 and suspended two years ago at the height of a race row.

Mr Paddick claimed the Home Office was behind his lenient treatment.

"It may have been the case that some of those discipline charges against him could have been proven," Mr Paddick suggested on the Today programme. "I think all of that was politically driven."

The 47-year-old was found guilty of misconduct in public office and attempting to pervert the course of justice by a jury at Southwark crown court on Monday.

He had been found guilty of threatening and falsely arresting a man. Prosecutors in the trial had claimed the police commander had attacked Iraqi Waab al-Baghdadi, 24, before arresting and attempting to frame him in a row over money.

In 2003 he was cleared over corruption charges and two years ago was suspended at the height of a race row within the Metropolitan force.

Dizaei, who will serve two years behind bars with another two years suspended on license, was convicted after it was alleged he had disagreed with Mr al-Baghdadi after the latter claimed he was owed for designing a website for the officer.

The prosecution claimed the row came to a head when the men clashed outside a west London restaurant in July 2008.

Dizaei arrested the 24-year-old following the incident, claiming Mr al-Baghdadi had made threatening gestures towards him and said he decided to arrest him for a public order offence.

The Met's Black Police Association's chairman Sergeant Alfred John insisted that racism continued to exist within the Met, pointing to figures showing that black officers remain disproportionately disciplined and asked to resign.

Mr Paddick insisted the case had damaged Sgt John's cause, however.

"I would say there are still problems with racism in the police. The figures speak for themselves.

"Yesterday was a very sad day for the police service. It did untold damage to the reputation of the police service - an abuse of authority by a senior police officer - but it also damaged the Black Police Association and therefore damaged police community relations."

Sgt John said he agreed with Mr Paddick's assessment "without a doubt".

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