Ali Dizaei

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Chief Superintendent Ali Dizaei (born c.1962) is a senior officer in the London Metropolitan Police. An Iranian-born Muslim with dual nationality, he came to prominence following an enquiry into alleged malpractice (for which he was cleared) and has frequently spoken out in the media on a variety of issues, mainly concerned with ethnicity and religion.

Dizaei's father was a deputy commissioner of police in Tehran. Dizaei was educated at a private boarding school in Arundel in West Sussex; this was the wish of his father, who believed that the only way his sons would truly succeed was through a good British education. Dizaei studied law at university, later gaining a PhD, and joined Thames Valley Police in 1986. He served in Henley-on-Thames, in uniform and the Criminal Investigation Department, rising to the rank of Chief Inspector. He was appointed an adviser on race issues to the Home Secretary, and then transferred to the Metropolitan Police on promotion to Superintendent on 29 March 1999 as a staff officer to Assistant Commissioner Ian Johnston. On 17 May 1999 he was transferred to Kensington police station and on 3 April 2000 became Superintendent Operations there. He was already outspoken on race issues, first coming to media attention in November 1999 for his criticism of questions asked in promotion exams.^[1]

From 2000, Dizaei was investigated by the force after allegations of taking bribes, using drugs and prostitutes, and even spying for Iran. There were counter-allegations by his supporters that the investigation was prompted by the belief of some senior officers that he was too ambitious, too critical of the police (particularly relating to racism), too close to the Iranian community, and too flamboyant. He flouted uniform rules by wearing designer belts, sunglasses and cowboy boots, visited expensive nightclubs, and had an "open marriage", none of which endeared him to more conservative officers.^[2] The investigations, codenamed Operation Helios, officially cost £3 million, but some unofficial estimates put the cost as high as £7 million.

Dizaei was suspended on 18 January 2001. Eventually, he was charged only with perverting the course of justice, misconduct in public office, and making false mileage expense claims. His supporters claimed that these relatively minor charges were made because no evidence could be found of any other wrongdoing and the Metropolitan Police wished to justify its very expensive investigation.

Dizaei was actually tried before the Recorder of London for misconduct in public office and perverting the course of justice. This arose out of an incident which occurred on 6 September 2000. His BMW, provided by the Metropolitan Police, was vandalised while parked at Emperor's Gate in Kensington, but Dizaei reported that the vandalism happened in Cope Place, near the police station. Unfortunately for him, he was already under surveillance by undercover officers, who knew where the car was parked. When this was put to him in the trial, Dizaei admitted that he had lied, but said that the damage had indeed occurred in Cope Place. He claimed he had noticed it when he returned to his car, but had then driven to Emperor's Gate (which was near an Underground station) to catch a train to a National Black Police Association (NBPA) meeting. He lied, he said, because he did not want his superiors to know he had attended the meeting. The jury cleared Dizaei of the charges on 15 September 2003. The Crown Prosecution Service decided not to proceed with the charges of making false mileage expense claims.

The NBPA, of which Dizaei is a leading member (he was vice-chairman and is now legal adviser), called for a full independent investigation into the Metropolitan Police investigation, which has been referred to as a "witch hunt" and proof that racism still exists in the British police. In 2004, the Independent Police Complaints Commission called the investigation "seriously flawed".^[3] Dizaei eventually only faced minor disciplinary action.

Dizaei was promoted to Chief Superintendent in May 2004.^[4] He is now Borough Commander of Hounslow. In 2006 he was in the headlines again for criticising the Forest Gate raid^[5] and passenger profiling on aircraft. The Police Federation has accused him of "blissful ignorance" for the latter.^[6]

In December 2006, it was made public that during Operation Helios the Metropolitan Police had unlawfully tapped over 3,500 private calls made by Dizaei.^[7]

In March 2007, Dizaei published Not One of Us, an account of his police career to date, and of the Operation Helios investigation. Prior to publication, the Metropolitan Police Service issued a statement noting that it "considers it a matter of regret that Chief Superintendent Dizaei has felt it necessary to write this book", and reiterating its support for the Helios team. ^[8]. Upon release the book was serialised on BBC Radio 4.