Senior Met officer jailed for four years

A senior Scotland Yard officer's career was in ruins yesterday after he was jailed for assaulting and falsely arresting a man in a petty row over money.

Commander Ali Dizaei, 47, was sentenced to four years after a jury ruled he was a corrupt officer who abused his position to bully a younger businessman.

They heard he assaulted and falsely arrested Iraqi Waad al-Baghdadi, 24, after he asked for £600 he was owed for a website showcasing Mr Dizaei's controversial career.

Trial judge Mr Justice Simon said he must "send a clear message that police officers of whatever rank are not above the law".

Sentencing Mr Dizaei at Southwark Crown Court, he said: "You knew how the system worked and you thought you would never be discovered. It is to the credit of the investigators in this case that early on they questioned your account.

"You should have drawn a very clear line between your personal position with regard to Mr al-Baghdadi and your duty as a police officer. You crossed that line and now stand convicted of these offences."

The convictions spell the end of an accomplished but contentious 24-year career that took the Iranian officer to the top of the police service.

He emerged unscathed from a series of earlier inquiries, including a multimillion-pound undercover operation examining claims of corruption, fraud and dishonesty.

Mr Dizaei rose through the ranks at the Metropolitan Police and was eventually made west link commander, covering 10 boroughs and overseeing tens of thousands of officers.

At the same time he was an outspoken opponent of racism, ultimately taking on the role of president of the National Association of Black Police Officers.

But his botched attempt to frame a man who pestered him for a few hundred pounds payment over a website exposed him as a violent bully and liar.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said his colleague's "disgraceful behaviour" damaged the reputation of the entire police service.

He said: "It is extremely disappointing and concerning that this very senior officer has been found guilty of abusing his position and power. The public expect the police to treat them fairly and honestly and we are resolved to tackle corruption at every opportunity. He has breached that trust and damaged not only his own reputation but that of the entire police service. I am proud of the officers who gave evidence in this case and supported the IPCC investigation. Bearing in mind his rank and disgraceful behaviour, he should not be surprised at the severity of his sentence."

Mr Dizaei will remain a senior police officer until the bureaucratic process of throwing him out of the force can be completed.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which investigated the original complaint, must pass its files to the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) for a decision.

Mr Dizaei will then be sacked for gross misconduct and could face losing all or part of his pension under further measures aimed at punishing corrupt officers.