Yes seadragon, a crook is a crook regardless. However Mr Dizaei’s race most certainly is a deciding factor in this matter.
The root cause of this ridiculous situation is the ludicrous Macpherson Report on the handling by the Met of the murder of Stephen Lawrence. Regular readers will know that the report (which far exceeded its remit) branded the Met “institutionally racist”.
From then on, the senior management of the Met were paralysed with the fear that any action they took be it against criminals or their staff, might be branded racist if any ethnic minorities were involved.
Mr Dizaei is a clever manipulative individual. He seized upon the opportunity presented by the Met’s paralysis to further his career to a degree which he would not have achieved in any other organisation. As has been pointed out, nothing was proved. However, there had been reasonably founded allegations against him during his time in the Met and in any other organisation he would have been lucky to retain his job, let alone be promoted to senior rank. Nonetheless this he achieved despite performing poorly at interviews and his bosses being informed by the Serious Organised Crime Squad of their concerns about his activities.
Regretfully he will almost certainly appeal against his conviction, bringing further risk of a massive payout being necessary should he succeed. Interestingly, the hapless Mr al-Baghadadi, the victim of Dizaei’s attempt to pervert the course of justice, is unlikely to be in line for any such riches. Most regretful of all the Met is now likely to be labelled “institutionally corrupt” as well as racist because of this disgraceful apology for an officer, making it all the more difficult for officers at the sharp end to do their job.
And the blame for all this lies with Macpherson and the paralysis of the Met’s senior management in their reaction to it.