Met boss Ali Dizaei 'bullied and threatened innocent man'
A senior Scotland Yard officer bullied, threatened and intimidated an innocent man in a wholesale abuse of his police powers, a court heard today.
Commander Ali Dizaei falsely claimed he had been assaulted by a web designer outside a west London restaurant, the jury was told.
Waab Al-Baghdadi was wrongly arrested on Dizaei's orders, detained overnight in a police cell and interviewed under caution, Southwark crown court heard.
Dizaei, 49, is facing a retrial on charges of intending to pervert the course of justice and misconduct in a public office in July 2008.
Opening the case, Peter Wright, prosecuting, said Dizaei pursued Mr Al Baghdadi through his own personal motives.
"It was the wholesale abuse of his powers by a senior police officer," said Mr Wright. "The bullying of a fellow citizen, intimidating and threatening him, abusing the powers invested in him by citizens to assault, detain and falsely accuse a citizen of criminal conduct. Dizaei insisted in the wholly false allegation thereby exposing him to continuing detention and possible prosecution."
At that time Dizaei was the Met commander with overall responsibility for 10 boroughs in west London.
He had met Mr Al-Baghdadi at the Yas restaurant in the Hammersmith Road and asked him to create a website for him, Ali Dizaei.com, and sent him photographs, documents articles and media links to be posted on the site.
At a meeting in his Cannon Row office in Westminster, Dizaei agreed to pay Mr Al-Baghdadi £600 for his work, the court heard. But the money was never paid and the two men argued over the fees at the Yas restaurant.
Mr Al-Baghdadi walked out and went round the corner followed by Dizaei in his car. "Dizaei got out and confronted Mr Al-Baghdadi who had done nothing which could merit his arrest," said Mr Wright.
"Dizaei then purported to arrest and detain him and summoned assistance. And other police officers arrived at the scene. Mr Al-Baghdadi was held in custody at a police station where Dizaei made a complaint that Mr Al-Baghdadi had threatened and physically assaulted him - it was a wholly false complaint.
"Mr Al-Baghdadi was held in a cell overnight and interviewed under caution the following day in respect of the allegations made by Dizaei. Later that evening he was released on bail while investigation into him continued.
"But inquiries began to unearth what had clearly gone on, which was not consistent with Mr Al-Baghdadi having threatened and assaulted Dizaei but quite the reverse."
Dizaei has pleaded not guilty to both charges.
The case continues.
