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Ali Dizaei stripped of his £90,000 Met salary as he begins jail term
Justin Davenport Paul Cheston and Benedict Moore-Bridger9 Feb 2010
Disgraced police chief Ali Dizaei was stripped of his £90,000 salary today as he started a four-year prison term on a wing for vulnerable prisoners at Wandsworth jail.
Dizaei, 47, who was branded a “criminal in uniform” on his conviction for corruption yesterday, will lose his salary while he is in jail under police regulations.
The Met commander became the highest ranking officer to be convicted of corruption offences for more than 30 years when he was jailed for trying to frame a web designer.
A jury took less than two hours to find him guilty of misconduct in a public office and perverting the course of justice after a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court.
Today a senior member of Dizaei's legal team described the length of sentence as “shocking” and told the Standard that grounds for an appeal were being prepared.
Legal experts believe an appeal against conviction has no hope of success but say a senior officer with
Dizaei's long record of service could have expected a shorter term even after a contested trial.
The Met officer now faces a misconduct tribunal hearing by the Metropolitan Police Authority and is widely expected to be sacked.
The commander is also likely to lose his £60,000-a-year pension and faces the possibility of paying his defence legal costs, estimated to be around £150,000. Dizaei has been suspended on full pay since September 2008 and it is estimated he has earned £260,000 pending the two corruption trials he has faced in the past seven years. The Iranian-born officer was acquitted of similar charges at the Old Bailey in 2003 and went on to gain promotion and an £80,000 pay-out.
Further accusations involving the commander — the most senior ethnic minority officer in the Met — emerged today. It was claimed the former president of the National Black Police Association was promoted after his first trial despite warnings from the Serious and Organised Crime Agency of concerns about his conduct.
Dizaei, however, was reported to be defiant after his conviction. He told the Guardian the case was “completely outrageous and a fit-up”. He said the authorities, had a “vendetta” against him. Dizaei's second wife broke down as she heard he had been jailed. Natalie Downing, who has three sons with the officer, said it was “very upsetting”.
Reader views (36)
After hearing of his appalling phone threats to harm his student girlfriend and family, one hopes that the witness who had the courage to get justice, will be protected. Dizaei seemed to have adopted a throwback feudal mentality to people of his community who were reported to be actively in fear of him and how his power could harm them.
Let's hope that neither he nor any misguided friends ever contemplate any sort of revenge attacks on the web designer, Mr Baghdadi, or his family, whom he falsely accused and tried to frame? The whole of London and the Metropolitan Police Force owes Mr Baghdadi a massive debt. We could have ended up with a criminal and criminally minded man at the head of the Met.
- Steven, London, 10/02/2010 11:32
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Four years is not enough, they say he will be out in two. Still fresh in all 'HONEST' minds, he will milk the media to death, scraping as much cash as he can. I wish that if he appeals and 'should lose' entend the sentence for as long as possible. Make him pay back 'All' cost and reopen 'ALL' cases involing him. 'People might forget this scumbag if he is incarcreated for far longer then what the judge gave him.
- Richard, London, 10/02/2010 10:56
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Fine Line walked between criminals and the police he was on the wrong side for many years are his arrests safe ?and it would be an outrage if he gets his pension we should get his payouts back and make him pay his legal cost hope he hets his just deserts in jail nasty man
- Aidan, Cheshire, 09/02/2010 18:01
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I admire the nerve of this ghastly guy thinking four years is too much. It is not enough. I really do doubt the ability of the promotion board allowing someone like this to rise so high. They ought to be investigated. Do they not check the mental state of police rising to this level. Or are they overlooking faults just because he is Asian. This throws doubt onto his previous trial. I despair really.
- Michael, London, UK, 09/02/2010 17:50
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as a general rule of thumb, i would imagine most people getting banged up would tend to lose job and pay.
what about his pension pot and all the compensation,etc he's collected from previous troubled episodes?
- M.Obrien, london.uk, 09/02/2010 15:34
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And now every single man or woman this guy has been involved in putting away will be looking at the possibility of judicial review of their case, asking the judges to declare their convictions 'unsafe', based upon this man's now proven untrustworthy history.
- Rogan, Irving, 09/02/2010 15:28
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It's called 'positive discrimination' as thats the only reason he rose through the ranks in the first place! Get used to it, this is what happens in Labour's Britain.
- Sue, Kent, 09/02/2010 15:23
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Throw away the key.
He's a disgrace, I understand his father and grandfather where high up in the Iranian police..I bet they're so proud.
Stripped of his £90 a year and hopefully his pension too.
He's been getting away with it all for too long and at last it's all come on top.
Enjoy prison.
- Matt, London UK, 09/02/2010 15:15
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Why is he on wing for vulnerable prisoners? He always thought he was invulnerable - put him with everyone else.
- Patricia, LONDON, 09/02/2010 15:13
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If it was not for new labour and that parasite Blair this man would have been sacked long ago..let us hope the era of phoney politicalo correctness is over and people are seen as people not whites blacks tc etc..this madness has ruined our country!!
- Jean, London England, 09/02/2010 15:05
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Every time the position of head of the Met was to be appointed his name was in the frame.Scary,it makes your blood run cold at the thought he may have been appointed
to appease the racist brigade.
- Alan, surbiton, 09/02/2010 14:56
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My friend, also non-Brit, is in prison for x4 longer for trying to save a finance co by extending its frauds until he could clear them. This Cop, by contrast, is a disgrace to his colleagues, the majority of whom are probably well-meaning. Beware an appeal on Sentence!
- Steve, London, England, 09/02/2010 14:52
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I see that he has been put into the Onslow Unit at HMP Wandsworth along with all of the sex offenders. When he is released in two years time I hope that he is deported back to Iran.
- Michael, Glasgow, 09/02/2010 14:09
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- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland you quoted "So where's the justification in stealing his pension after over twenty years good and faithful service?"
The only reason Ali Dizaei had twenty years good service...is because he was never caught!!!
This arrogant man has spent years running rings around all!!!
- Mark, Walworth, 09/02/2010 13:56
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They couldn't nail him earlier because of the politically-correct brigade and the cry of racism.
A bent copper who played the race card to get fast tracked through the service. Where is the National Black Police Association now? Not saying very much about it's former President are they? Speaks volumes about the association however.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 09/02/2010 13:53
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Surely he is not the only bent copper, MP or councellor - this country is becoming as corrupt as India and its politicians. Soon nothing is going to be done without giving a corupt copper, mp or councellor a back hander.
- Raminder Bhalla, Northolt, 09/02/2010 13:42
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Got less than he deserved,He was going to let an innocent man go to jail for £600.00
- D J Collison, Bracknell, 09/02/2010 13:35
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Why not build a prison specially for bent public servamts, MPs, coppers etc., just walls and no heating, beds or privileges, and make the buggers pay for it out of their illgotten gains. The way things are going, it'll be full in weeks.
- P'D Off Pensioner, London /UK, 09/02/2010 13:30
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When you take this job, you agree that is forfeit if you go to gaol. Part of the Conditions of Service.
I hope the witness sues him as well.
- John C, Kingston upon Thames, UK, 09/02/2010 13:28
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The Met should give Dizaei's victim the top cop job,his evidence has finally nailed this arrogant gangster,no mean feat indeed....the other Met officers just looked the other way and hoped no body would find out.
- Jacob, Cesspit London., 09/02/2010 13:27
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Why not build a prison specially for bent public servamts, MPs, coppers etc., just walls and no iheating, beds or privileges, and make the buggers pay fort out of their illgotten gains. The way things are going, it'll be full in weeks,
- P'D Off Pensioner, London / UK, 09/02/2010 13:26
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Best news, I've had this year. I hope he loses his pension as well. This has really cheered me up, no end.
- Alan, LONDON, 09/02/2010 13:24
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His conviction is clear evidence that the British people can no longer trust their police force and as such does tremendous damage to the service he was employed by. As a senior police office he should have upheld an impeccable standard. On these grounds I believe the sentence is positively lenient.
Judges always take a dim view of perverting the course of justice. 20 years would have been a better deterrent to other offices tempted to follow his appalling example. If he appeals his sentence should be increased.
- Ian, London, 09/02/2010 13:23
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Throw him out of the country.
- Dee Jay, Fleet Hampshire, 09/02/2010 13:21
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Hmmmm. All well and good Dizaei gets sent down but the sentence IS ludicrous. The beak tells us that the sentence was increased as a deterrent. Well what about the deterrents for thugs who get a few months or community service instead of four years for beating up their innocent victims? Once again the legal system has shown that it has no consistency at all.
- Luke, London, 09/02/2010 13:19
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@ Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland:- This is a senior policeman who perveted the course of justice,lied to fellow officers,comitted perjury and above all, came very close to ruining a civilians life by trying to get him imprisoned for assault on a policeman.
Do you not think that mr Dezaei wasnt aware of his actions and the implications of what would happen if he was caught out! He should definately lose his pension as well as be made to pay back the £250k he earned whilst on suspension!
Your argument that the punishment does not fit the crime is simplistic at best. What is you were the individual he arrested and your life had been ruined by his actions? Your view would be alot different then!!
- Ryan, Chiswick, 09/02/2010 13:18
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Huggy: "So where's the justification in stealing his pension after over twenty years good and faithful service?"
why don't you do a little more research on this scumbag, and see how "good and faithful" his service has been been. He's been investigated for corruption more than once, this is just the first time they've made it stick. He played the race card cynically whenever his underhanded conducted got called into question (which was often), and did untold damage to the police force.
why on earth would you make this twisted and corrupt man out to be the wronged party?
more to the point, who is funding his "legal team".
- Scotty, London, 09/02/2010 13:11
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Rather puzzled how with all the resources at its command, the Metropolitan Police Force was unable to convict Ali Dizaei, but a single member of the public was.
- Shallotman, Basildon, 09/02/2010 13:11
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This is however only the tip of the iceberg. Anyone who has had dealings with the Met knows that there are a significant minority who will engage in false accusations against members of the public particularly if they dare to question any aspect of their behaviour. It's so easy to arrest someone. The unfortunate citizen will likely accept a caution at 4am in the morning even though they know they've done nothing wrong, just so that they can go home. Result for the "officer" they get another "crime solved" tick in their book. They seem to forget they are servants of the public and will happily abuse their power with the complicity of their colleagues. They are usually the short ones no surprise.
- Jon, london, 09/02/2010 13:04
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Just proves how impotent the Liberal elite of this country are against minorities who cry racism. Despite warnings the Met promoted him in fear or being accused of being institutionally recist. What happened to the prseumption of innocence? These days the mear accusation of anything seems enough to bring authority to it's knees.
- Mark, London, 09/02/2010 13:02
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If it's true that this man's been a stupid, arrogant liar and guilty of 'trying to pervert the course of justice' then guilty fair enough. -But this sentence is disgracefully out of proportion.
The man has been publicly humiliated, will be sacked and lose his means of earning a living.
So where's the justification in stealing his pension after over twenty years good and faithful service?
More and more often the laws and sentences in this country often give cause for serious consideration.
Very often incorrigible and vicious rogues get off with light sentences, while first offenders or minor offenders, are often subjected to the full weight of the law.
Once this man has been sacked, he will have no more power to abuse, therefore is a danger to no one.
-In that light this sentence seems vindictive.
Thank God for the appeal courts.
- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland, 09/02/2010 12:58
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Such a change,some GOOD NEWS at last.
- Joe, London, 09/02/2010 12:55
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A senior member of Dizaei's legal team thinks the sentence is shocking but doesn't he realise that the public think the crime is shocking. I think he should have got much longer. He was a senior police officer. Someone that senior who acts like this should be made an axample of.
- Steve Jones, London, 09/02/2010 12:52
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AH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA. HA.
they love a copper in jail.
- Rod Mackintosh, berlin gemany, 09/02/2010 12:47
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About time too that he gets a prison term! Yet he remains totally defiant and still plays the "race card" and that his conviction was a set up.
He has wasted millions of pounds in court cases and also valuable police resources. Lets hope that a large muscle bound inmate will give him some "gentle loving" and a shoulder to cry when the going gets too tough!
- Ryan, Chiswick, 09/02/2010 12:39
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And who says there's never anything good in the news to put a smile on your face for the rest of the day 
lol
- P Staker, London, 09/02/2010 12:31
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