Commander Ali Dizaei found guilty & jailed for 4 years
8 February 2010

Commander Ali Dizaei has today, Monday 8 February 2010, been found guilty of misconduct in public office and perverting the course of justice following an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The former president of Britain's National Black Police Association was jailed for four years after being found guilty of threatening and falsely arresting a young Iraqi businessman, Waad al-Baghdadi, in a row over money, a jury at Southwark Crown Court in London concluded.

Responding to the verdict, Nick Hardwick, Chair of the IPCC said: "When Mr Al Baghdadi tried to get Commander Dizaei to pay him the money he owed him, Dizaei assaulted and then arrested him. He went on to lie about what had happened and, if he had been successful, Mr Al Baghdadi may have been sent to prison.

"Dizaei behaved like a bully and the only way to deal with bullies is to stand up to them. Mr Al Baghdadi has shown tremendous strength of character throughout this case - from the moment he was confronted by Ali Dizaei, throughout our investigation, and finally when giving evidence at court. We are grateful for the confidence he placed in the IPCC and, as a result of that, justice has been done today.

"The greatest threat to the reputation of the police service is criminals in uniform like Dizaei. Corruption comes in many forms and remains a threat to the police service. It requires constant vigilance to fight it. Integrity must not be negotiable. I think the public will now be looking to police leadership for reassurance that they will not allow political and financial pressures to prevent them from robustly tackling corruption.

"The behaviour of Dizaei contrasts with that of the Met officers who spoke out and gave evidence in court against him. This verdict should send a message to any other corrupt officer that nobody is untouchable but I hope it will strengthen the resolve of all those decent officers whose responsibilities require them to combat or speak out against corruption.

"I want to say thank you to the team of IPCC investigators who have worked incredibly hard on this case. They have shown a professionalism and determination in gathering all the available evidence which stood up to intense scrutiny over the last few weeks. They deserve our thanks and praise."