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| Ali Dizaei granted second appeal against conviction | Ali Dizaei granted second appeal against conviction |
| (10 days later) | |
| The saga surrounding the former police chief Ali Dizaei has taken another astonishing turn after he was given permission for a second time to challenge his conviction for corruption. | The saga surrounding the former police chief Ali Dizaei has taken another astonishing turn after he was given permission for a second time to challenge his conviction for corruption. |
| The court of appeal decided there were sufficient grounds for a full hearing into the safety of Dizaei's convictions for misconduct and perverting the course of justice. | The court of appeal decided there were sufficient grounds for a full hearing into the safety of Dizaei's convictions for misconduct and perverting the course of justice. |
| A jury convicted Dizaei, then a commander in the Metropolitan police, in February over his false arrest of Waad al-Baghdadi after a dispute over £600. He received a three-year sentence. | A jury convicted Dizaei, then a commander in the Metropolitan police, in February over his false arrest of Waad al-Baghdadi after a dispute over £600. He received a three-year sentence. |
| It was the second time Dizaei had been convicted. The first guilty verdict was quashed by the court of appeal after it emerged Baghdadi was a serial fraudster who had lied in the first trial. | It was the second time Dizaei had been convicted. The first guilty verdict was quashed by the court of appeal after it emerged Baghdadi was a serial fraudster who had lied in the first trial. |
| Dizaei's new appeal against the conviction came after his lawyers said they had evidence showing that Baghdadi had a propensity for violence. | Dizaei's new appeal against the conviction came after his lawyers said they had evidence showing that Baghdadi had a propensity for violence. |
| This evidence was not allowed to go before the jury that convicted Dizaei in February after a ruling by the trial judge. The evidence is understood to include social media messages allegedly written by Baghdadi and a covert recording. | This evidence was not allowed to go before the jury that convicted Dizaei in February after a ruling by the trial judge. The evidence is understood to include social media messages allegedly written by Baghdadi and a covert recording. |
| Baghdadi is the main witness against Dizaei, but the jury in February decided it believed the word of a convicted fraudster over that of a Scotland Yard commander, as it unanimously found the police chief guilty of arresting and framing a man in a row over money. | Baghdadi is the main witness against Dizaei, but the jury in February decided it believed the word of a convicted fraudster over that of a Scotland Yard commander, as it unanimously found the police chief guilty of arresting and framing a man in a row over money. |
| Dizaei told the Guardian: "I will continue in my efforts to clear my name, irrespective of how long it will take, and how many times I have to appear before tribunals or courts." | Dizaei told the Guardian: "I will continue in my efforts to clear my name, irrespective of how long it will take, and how many times I have to appear before tribunals or courts." |
| Baghdadi is under investigation for an assault, having been arrested by the Met on the day Dizaei was convicted for a second time. Other allegations against Baghdadi have resulted in the police deciding to take no further action. | Baghdadi is under investigation for an assault, having been arrested by the Met on the day Dizaei was convicted for a second time. Other allegations against Baghdadi have resulted in the police deciding to take no further action. |
| Dizaei, 49, was sacked from the Met in May following his reconviction. He was first convicted of framing Baghdadi in a street clash in 2010 but the conviction was quashed by the court of appeal a year later. | Dizaei, 49, was sacked from the Met in May following his reconviction. He was first convicted of framing Baghdadi in a street clash in 2010 but the conviction was quashed by the court of appeal a year later. |
| At the first trial it was claimed Baghdadi was an honest man and of good character. But the jury heard Baghdadi was convicted in September 2011 of committing benefit fraud by claiming £27,000 in the name of his dead father, from 2007 to 2010, and sentenced to eight months' imprisonment. | At the first trial it was claimed Baghdadi was an honest man and of good character. But the jury heard Baghdadi was convicted in September 2011 of committing benefit fraud by claiming £27,000 in the name of his dead father, from 2007 to 2010, and sentenced to eight months' imprisonment. |
| The case was brought after an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. The conviction of Dizaei is the biggest scalp claimed by the embattled police complaints body. | The case was brought after an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. The conviction of Dizaei is the biggest scalp claimed by the embattled police complaints body. |
| Dizaei was a long-standing and vocal critic of the police's record on race, and has also previously criticised the IPCC. His detractors claim he played the race card to advance his career and escape being held to account for his shortcomings. | Dizaei was a long-standing and vocal critic of the police's record on race, and has also previously criticised the IPCC. His detractors claim he played the race card to advance his career and escape being held to account for his shortcomings. |
| The second trial saw the jury take 11 hours to unanimously decide Dizaei was lying when he claimed Baghdadi had threatened him and assaulted him outside a west London restaurant in July 2008. | The second trial saw the jury take 11 hours to unanimously decide Dizaei was lying when he claimed Baghdadi had threatened him and assaulted him outside a west London restaurant in July 2008. |
| Dizaei, 49, was convicted of misconduct in public office for abusing his powers to falsely arrest Baghdadi, and perverting the course of justice for filing false accounts of the incident. | Dizaei, 49, was convicted of misconduct in public office for abusing his powers to falsely arrest Baghdadi, and perverting the course of justice for filing false accounts of the incident. |
| In July 2008 Dizaei had clashed with Baghdadi, who claimed the police commander owed him £600 for a website he had designed. Dizaei then arrested Baghdadi, and claimed to have been assaulted and poked in the stomach with the mouthpiece of a shisha pipe. Baghdadi spent 24 hours in a cell and six weeks on bail before it was decided he would not face charges. | In July 2008 Dizaei had clashed with Baghdadi, who claimed the police commander owed him £600 for a website he had designed. Dizaei then arrested Baghdadi, and claimed to have been assaulted and poked in the stomach with the mouthpiece of a shisha pipe. Baghdadi spent 24 hours in a cell and six weeks on bail before it was decided he would not face charges. |
| The guilty verdict will prove difficult for Dizaei's lawyers to overturn. They may believe they have evidence of further benefit fraud by Baghdadi and a propensity to violence, but the appeal court judges will be mindful that twice juries have disbelieved Dizaei, and on the second occasion did so despite hearing his accuser had repeatedly lied. | The guilty verdict will prove difficult for Dizaei's lawyers to overturn. They may believe they have evidence of further benefit fraud by Baghdadi and a propensity to violence, but the appeal court judges will be mindful that twice juries have disbelieved Dizaei, and on the second occasion did so despite hearing his accuser had repeatedly lied. |
| The clash with Baghdadi was during the summer of 2008 when Scotland Yard was engulfed in a race row. Dizaei was the main adviser to the assistant commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, who accused his bosses of racially discriminating against him. | The clash with Baghdadi was during the summer of 2008 when Scotland Yard was engulfed in a race row. Dizaei was the main adviser to the assistant commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, who accused his bosses of racially discriminating against him. |
| The Met had previously spent at least £4m investigating Dizaei, over a series of separate allegations, but that ended in 2003 with his acquittal, after which he returned to work and won promotions and commendations for his work. | The Met had previously spent at least £4m investigating Dizaei, over a series of separate allegations, but that ended in 2003 with his acquittal, after which he returned to work and won promotions and commendations for his work. |
| Dizaei's second appeal against conviction is expected to be heard in the autumn. | Dizaei's second appeal against conviction is expected to be heard in the autumn. |
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