Dizaei MPA statement

63/03
15 September 2003

Following the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) not to proceed with the second trial of Supt Ali Dizaei, the Metropolitan Police Authority today issued the following statement:

We cannot comment on the detail of the charges made against Supt Dizaei. The possibility of disciplinary action remains, and it would be wrong for the Authority to say anything that could pre-empt or prejudice the consideration of those matters through the proper processes.

We will look seriously at all the implications in the wake of the acquittal of Supt Ali Dizaei on the charges against him.

This case has cost a considerable sum of taxpayers money and committed significant police investigative resources over a long period. The discontinuance of the prosecution must therefore be a matter of concern. There is another important consideration, which is public perception of how this case impacts on the MPS diversity strategy. We are convinced that the MPS has made enormous strides since the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry to manage diversity, and we are absolutely committed to maintaining the progress made.

We, of course, support the Metropolitan Police Service in its drive to root out corruption and dishonesty amongst police officers at all levels. The people of London cannot have confidence in their police unless they see that the very highest standards of honesty and integrity are in place.

We have worked closely with the MPS to improve the way that complaints, disciplinary issues and grievances are dealt with, to ensure that any perception of discrimination or unfairness would be unjustified. There have been changes to the systems for handling sensitive and high profile cases, particularly those affecting officers from minority ethnic communities. We will actively seek to discover whether further lessons now need to be learnt.

For our next meeting on 25 September, we have called for a full report from the Commissioner. All members will receive a comprehensive briefing on the allegations made against Supt Dizaei, the criminal charges brought, and the reasons why the CPS decided to discontinue the case at such a late stage. They will also consider the ruling of the Recorder of London that the investigations which led to the first trial had been conducted properly, and that he found no evidence of any bad faith or serious fault in the way that officers of the MPS ran and continued their inquiries.

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