Dizaei reinstated as police commander

Ali Dizaei, the Scotland Yard chief jailed for corruption, was sensationally reinstated yesterday as a Met commander.The officer won his job back four months after his convictions for misconduct were quashed by the Appeal Court.Dizaei, 49, who spent a year in prison, was allowed to return by a secret meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority’s professional standards sub-committee. He said: “I am delighted and really happy to be back in the police service. I intend to clear my name and I will do that irrespective of how long it takes.”However, it is understood MPA officials yesterday took the decision to suspend him as a police officer pending his retrial on corruption allegations.Technically he has been reinstated as a £90,000-a-year Met commander on full pay and conditions. Dizaei said he would appeal to the High Court against any decision to suspend him.Dizaei claimed the MPA committee took the reinstatement decision after a police appeals tribunal headed by a QC “unanimously” dismissed his sacking. Neither the MPA nor the Met made any initial comment yesterday.But the decision sent shockwaves through Scotland Yard, with insiders describing the decision as “unbelievable”. Dizaei’s lawyers are expected to challenge his suspension in the courts, arguing that other senior white police staff have been allowed to stay in their posts while investigations into misconduct take place.Dizaei will be formally reinstated when his police warrant card is re- turned. It is understood that other members of the MPA were unaware of the move yesterday morning.The decision was taken on Thursday night by six members of the sub-committee, who held a session behind closed doors to discuss the case.One insider said officials were left with no legal alternative but to overturn the decision to dismiss the officer after the appeal court quashed his conviction.Dizaei last year became the most senior officer in 33 years to be jailed for corruption.He was convicted in February last year after a jury at Southwark crown court found him guilty of perverting the course of justice and misconduct in a public office.The policeman was found to have arranged the false arrest of Waad al-Baghdadi, a web designer who had done some work with him.Iranian-born Dizaei, who wore his uniform at the time, was accused of arresting al-Baghdadi outside the Persian Yas restaurant in Kensington, despite knowing he did not have reasonable grounds to do so.