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Robin,you are well misguided by defending this chap. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Didn't you see how he abused his previous paramours and played the race card aided by the Black Police Association. Don't let your white liberal guilt blind you completely.see http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-496363/Damages-police-chief-Ali-Dizaei-called-liar.htmlOutspoken police chief Ali Dizaei will today make a humiliating apology to a chief constable he attacked in his book about Scotland Yard.The publishers of his memoirs have agreed to pay "substantial damages" after the head of Devon and Cornwall Police, Stephen Otter, sued for libel.As part of an out-of-court settlement, Chief Superintendent Dizaei will admit he made false allegations about his former colleague.The hotly disputed statements were made in Mr Dizaei's book Not One of Us, which was published this year.The libel action centres on claims Mr Dizaei "misrepresented" evidence given by Mr Otter at his Old Bailey trial for perverting the course of justice four years ago. Mr Dizaei was later cleared.Mr Dizaei accused Mr Otter, a prosecution witness, of lying when questioned about a letter he had once written to him.After the book was published, Mr Otter's lawyers checked the court transcripts, which contradicted Mr Dizaei's account.The libel settlement is hugely embarrassing to Mr Dizaei. Earlier this year he paid damages to another police officer whom he also "misrepresented" in his book.A senior Yard source said yesterday: "Mr Dizaei was warned it was not a good idea to dish the dirt on his colleagues. Now he is paying the price."There must now be serious questions over his suitability to be promoted to commander. How can he be regarded as a witness of truth in any court proceedings?"Colleagues were also angered by the fact the book was serialised in a national newspaper just days before Mr Dizaei was due to face a promotion board.Mr Dizaei has always rejected claims he was trying to intimidate the panel, which turned down his bid to be promoted to commander.In an unexpected development, the 300-strong Association of Muslim Police issued a strongly-worded statement condemning the serialisation of the memoirs at the time.It said it had "grave concerns" about the contents of the book, and made a thinly-veiled attack on the lifestyle of Mr Dizaei, who once launched a race discrimination claim against the Met.Mr Dizaei, his co-author and publishers will today admit in London's High Court that there was "no basis to suggest that Mr Otter was not telling the truth" at the trial.Mr Otter's lawyer will tell the court that although he was reluctant to bring a claim, "he was not prepared to allow such a serious attack on his integrity to remain unchallenged".In addition to the apology, Mr Dizaei, his co-author and publisher have agreed to make a substantial donation to a charity of Mr Otter's choice and to pay his legal costs. The total bill is thought to run into tens of thousands of pounds.Mr Otter's solicitor, David Price, could not be reached for comment. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-496363/Damages-police-chief-Ali-Dizaei-called-liar.html#ixzz0clwrlQSJ

Nic Doczi ● 5950d

Vanessa,I don't understand why you are now talking about Ghaffur when the subject of this thread is Dizaei.A lot of people would agree with you that there were justifiable doubts over Ghaffur's claim of racial discrimination, but does that excuse the Met blowing £7m of taxpayer's money on a vendetta against Dizaei?Nobody is suggesting that the Met or any other organisation "owes you a living just because of your colour, race or creed" as you put it. But people are entitled to expect an employer to act in a fair and even-handed manner - especially when that employer is funded by taxpayers of all races. Surely you don't deny that there is a significant degree of racism in the force? Did you not see "The Secret Policeman", broadcast a few years ago (and since updated)?Why do you think the Cranford detective Gurpal Virdi was accused of sending a racist email to himself and colleagues, when there was no evidence?Why did the Met "accidentally" destroy documents containing potentially harmful evidence in a further case of discrimination brought by Virdi last year?Why did the Met wrongly accuse Chief Inspector Leroy Logan of fiddling £80 on his expenses (resulting in a £100,000 taxpayer-funded compensation payout when the allegation was found to be baseless)?Why did the police choose to frame three black men ("The Cardiff Three", who served four years) for a murder when a witness description stated the culprit was white?I could give you many more examples, Vanessa (including some off-the-record remarks I myself have heard police officers come out with) but I'd rather not because it would unfairly besmirch those in the service who are not racist.Let's just accept that when those in the Met victimise BME officers, a standard course of action should be gone through (as with all employer/employee disputes) and if we want to stop big compensation payouts the way to do that is to root out the racists.(Btw, the £7 million payout to Dizaei could have paid for 200 more police officers on the streets of London).

Robin Taylor ● 5951d

I don't think it matters if Ali Dizaei has Iranian citizenship or not. What matters is that he can do the job.This is what the National Black Police Association were quoted as saying in the Hounslow & Brentford Times (dated 19/12/08) when it was reported that Ali Dizaei had launched a race discrimination case against the Metropolitan Police:-"Mr Dizaei's case, which was served at a London tribunal this week, will expose how senior white officers are treated favourably when subject of complaints in comparison to senior black officers. The Metropolitan Police Authority will have difficulty explaining how an officer, which according to very senior police officers PERFORMS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL IN HIS JOB (my emphasis) has been suspended from duty when white senior officers subject of more serious complaints remain on duty and are, in fact, promoted."For Harley's information, the reason there is no need for a "White Police Association" is because white police officers do not have to contend with bullying and racism from within the force.The Metropolitan Police have spent a considerable amount of taxpayers' money trying to hound Ali Dizaei out of the force. That money would have been better spent on improving their service to the general public.According to the Eastern Eye newspaper, dated 15/06/07:-"A top Asian police officer has accepted a grovelling apology from the Metropolitan Police over a corruption inquiry into his behaviour. Ali Dizaei was spied on and had his phone calls bugged as part of a £4m probe called Operation Helios. Ch Supt Dizaei was accused in 2001 of fiddling his expenses, using prostitutes, abusing drugs and spying for Iran. After the four-year inquiry, the Iranian-born cop was cleared of the charges by the Old Bailey in 2003."According to other reports I have seen, the operation actually cost £7m, not £4m. A lot of money.A few years earlier, the Evening Standard had reported that Scotland Yard faces a multi-million-pound bill for up to 20 discrimination claims brought by black and Asian officers.Whether the latest allegations against Ali Dizaei (as detailed in Harley's opening post) turn out to be true or just another fabrication remains to be seen.What is clear is that there is racism in the Met, and as long as it continues there will be a need for a black police association.

Robin Taylor ● 5953d