Scotland Yard commander Dizaei 'abused power' in false arrest case

On trial: Ali Dizaei and the Persian Yas restaurant in Kensington
12 April 2012

One of the most senior commanders in the Met bullied and falsely arrested a businessman in a "wholesale" abuse of power, a court heard today.

Ali Dizaei, 48, threatened, abused and intimidated the Iraqi-born man who was allegedly owed money for work he had done on the officer's website, it was alleged.

The jury was told that Dizaei falsely claimed he had been physically assaulted. The man he accused, Waad Al-Baghdadi, was interviewed under caution and held in a police station for nearly 24 hours for a crime he had never committed, Southwark crown court heard.

The confrontation came after the two met in the Yas restaurant in Hammersmith Road in July 2008. An argument broke out and Mr Baghdadi walked out.

Dizaei, who is in overall charge of west London's 10 area commanders, followed him in his car and arrested him, even though Mr Baghdadi had "done nothing wrong".

The officer, a former leader of the National Black Police Association, denies charges of misconduct in public office and intending to pervert the course of justice. Peter Wright, QC, prosecuting, said Dizaei had abused his position, and that the British people had entrusted considerable power in their police officers. He said power came with responsibility but Commander Dizaei had abused it for personal motives.

"These powers do not involve the provision of a licence to behave unfairly, partially or dishonestly or powers conferred in order to pursue a fellow citizen for any personal or bleak motive — but that's what happened here," said Mr Wright.

"The abuse of such powers has a corrosive effect on the relationship between the police and citizens.

"This case involves the wholesale abuse of power by a senior police officer for entirely personal and oblique motives. It was the bullying of a fellow citizen, intimidating and threatening him and abusing the power invested in the officer by virtue of his office and rank in that he assaulted and detained and falsely accused a fellow citizen of criminal conduct. It involves persisting in wholly false allegations — exposing that citizen to continued detention and the risk of prosecution." Mr Baghdadi came to Britain in 2003 to study computing and by 2008 had been granted indefinite leave to stay.

The two men rowed in the Yas restaurant over money allegedly owed by Dizaei for the work Mr Baghdadi had done on a website about the officer, said Mr Wright.

During the course of the argument Dizaei threatened Mr Baghdadi who left the restaurant shortly afterwards and walked away, continued the QC. "Dizaei followed him in his car and then confronted him in a nearby street.

"Although Mr Baghdadi had done nothing to merit his arrest Dizaei arrested him and then, having detained him and other police officers being called to the scene, he made an untrue complaint that Mr Baghdadi had threatened and physically assaulted him."

The case continues.

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