And so it has finally come to pass: after years of bleating about being investigated for corruption and denied promotion on “racist” grounds, after several scandals and enquiries, the chickens have finally come home to roost for Chief Superintendent Ali Dizaei.

After a month-long trial at Southwark Crown Court the jury took two hours to unanimously convict Dizaei of misconduct in a public office and attempting to pervert the course of justice

I first remember coming across the name in Private Eye, which initially promoted the idea that Dizaei had been inappropriately investigated for corruption charges. There was an awful lot of fuss about the amount of resources thrown at trying to find him guilty of something. I can only assume that the copper who was trying to nail him actually was a proper copper and knew that something was going on, but just couldn’t prove it.

And so, after all that effort was expended to no avail, I assume that Dizaei felt he had become untouchable, immune to prosecution. And like Al Capone, the thing that brought him down was a squalid, distasteful thing, in fact even more so. He behaved like a petty thug, making boastful threats and displaying an almost childishly spiteful abuse of authority. It’s the sort of thing you might expect from a rookie PCSO, not a Chief Superintendent!

The Metropolitan Police commander engaged in a “wholesale abuse of power for personal motives” after he rowed with website developer Waad Al-Baghdadi, 24.

Dizaei owed the victim £600 for a personal website he had designed for him.

When Mr Al-Baghdadi asked the police chief for payment outside a West London restaurant, Dizaei pursued him down an alley in his car before violently arresting him and telling him “I am responsible for 5,000 officers. I can —- your life”.

Dizaei later claimed that the victim had attacked him with a sharp metal mouthpiece for a ‘shisha’ pipe.

Dizaei faked injuries to back up his claims, and engaged in a campaign to smear Mr Al-Baghdadi by claiming he had been caught using stolen credit cards.

The innocent businessman spent nearly 24 hours in a cell and was the subject of a full police investigation before the case was dropped by prosecution lawyers.

I’m not sure how to say this without provoking a storm of comments about my innate racism, but is it remotely possible that Mr Dizaei was only promoted as far as he was because of his race, rather than anything else? He certainly has not come out of this tale with any kind of dignity or ability as a policeman.

And I wonder if Private Eye will be publishing a retraction of support from this nasty little man?

1
Furor Teutonicus
February 9, 2010 at 09:49

There, you see? Even you have fallen for it.

You are scared of telling the truth “incase someone screams racism at me”.

Well I am bloody NOT.

Of COURSE he got promoted BECAUSE he is… what? Wog? Paky?

Na, no matter.

If he was white, he would not have made it past traffic wardens office window cleaner.

2
Cato
February 9, 2010 at 09:54

You’ve surely hit the nail on the head. And I know very well that there will be hundreds if not thousands of my former colleagues who will have been dancing up and down with joy as this odious racist bully received his desserts.

It is entirely true to say that he would not have achieved such high rank without behaving as the worst kind of racist…what I call the ‘reverse-racist…’You’re only doing this because I’m black’.

The membership of the Black Police Association should take a long hard look at itself and ask where it’s going when people like Alfred John, one of its leaders, call into question the reasons for the investigation.

3
WitteringsfromWitney
February 9, 2010 at 09:59

Anna,

To voice an opinion is not racist and bear witness that we all know the result had someone wanted a White Police Officers Association!

Someone’s ‘ascent up the ladder’ can only be achieved by ability, not because of the colour of his/her skin which just proves the illogicality of Labour’s equality and diversity policies which are no more than social engineering.

4
Vimes
February 9, 2010 at 10:49

I believe that Mr Dizaei was born in Iran – I’m not sure what the appropriate insult for that is, but I’m sure someone will enlighten me. I bet he wishes that he’d joined CO19, though – they’re far more tolerant and protective of their particular brand of psychopath.

5
Subrosa
February 9, 2010 at 11:06

Anna, if you read some of the comments about his promotion applications, interviews etc it’s blatantly obvious they was only promoted because of his race.

I wonder how many more have had promotion this easily?

6
Subrosa
February 9, 2010 at 11:07

Ooops sorry, Thaddeus of course not Anna.

7
T. P. Fuller
February 9, 2010 at 11:50

I just wonder what will happen to him in prison. If they are so minded, apparently, the other cons can always find a way to make someone’s life a misery. Then there are the staff …

@Vimes, the appropriate term of abuse seems to be “raghead”. He certainly reduced his own headgear (see pic) to the status of a dishrag.

8
Vimes
February 9, 2010 at 11:56

Thank you – it’s a constant education.

9
Rog
February 9, 2010 at 12:09

The stench of corruption goes much further than any paper can print.
Try doing a job when many people you investigate directly phone Dr Ali Dizaei for advice.
His battle is not over yet. Expect appeals and claims of racism.
The perfect blend of political inertia was Blunkett and Ian Blair with Dizaei strutting his stuff.
Guess how many more are are in the Met.

10
Uncle Marvo
February 9, 2010 at 12:25

Born in Iran?

Perhaps they’ll take away his persian. Sorry, pension.

11
The Slogger
February 9, 2010 at 12:57

Being a white male with no ear for music, I applied for the job as lead-singer in The Supremes three months ago. I haven’t heard a dicky, so I’m going to the Court of Human Rights about it.

Be it Caribbean London males in the 1970s or black South African corruption today, it’s nothing to do with race or colour and everything to do with culture. In the culture – or should I say multiculture? – we have in the UK now, Mr Disraeli seemed to fit in perfectly.
xx

12
wrinkled weasel
February 9, 2010 at 14:43

Slogger, how good do you look in a gold lame frock and a bouffant wig? There may be other reasons – sorry.

On my blog I inadvertantly conflated “Black” with “Iranian” – pointed out with merciless acuity by someone called “Indy”. Except that, Dizaei started it, by being the chairman of the BPA. Perhaps they have been applying their nom de guerre too liberally? Perhaps the next chairman will be white?

I shall try for the Supremes as well, and I look a darn sight better in a gold frock than Slogger.

13
Mike Spilligan
February 9, 2010 at 14:52

Rog has already mentioned Ian Blair, but I suspect that he was not merely “inertial” but that he was looking for good marks for being so very PC, from Blunkett and his many incompetent successors at the HO.

14
Biffo
February 9, 2010 at 15:17

Watching reports on TV etc it would seem that the Iranian Bully Boy did indeed use the ‘race card’ a number of times during his career. Unfortunately, the BPA are still loudly defending him.

15
JohnRS
February 10, 2010 at 11:12

If you read any blogs by serving police officers there appears to be an overwhelming “three cheers” from them (and those commenting on their articles) for this verdict. I suspect a lot of officers have known what was going on but no-one could do anything about it. Dizaei was effectively “fireproof” due to his manipulation of everyone’s fear about being accused of “racism”.