Met Commander begins race claim

Commander Ali Dizaei has denied allegations of misconduct

A high-ranking Metropolitan Police officer is starting a claim of racial discrimination against the force.

Met Commander Ali Dizaei claims ex-Met commissioner Sir Ian Blair and chief executive Catherine Crawford colluded to suspend him from duty.

Mr Dizaei was suspended by the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) in September accused of misconduct. He has denied any wrong doing.

The MPA said it awaited official notification of Mr Dizaei's actions.

A Metropolitan Black Police Association (MBPA) spokeswoman said papers would be served at the Employment Tribunal Office in central London on Wednesday.

Later date

A spokesman for the Employment Tribunal Office in London said it would have to look at Mr Dizaei's claim before it fixed a hearing for a later date.

MBPA chairman Alfred John said: "The Metropolitan Police Authority will have difficulty explaining how an officer, who according to very senior police officers performs exceptionally well in his job, has been suspended from duty when white senior officers subject to more serious complaints remain on duty and are, in fact, promoted."

We will call on the Mayor Boris Johnson to learn from the Ghaffur saga and personally intervene before this case spins out of control Alfred John, Met Black Police Association chairman

An Independent Police Complaints Commission report into alleged misconduct by Mr Dizaei, in relation to the arrest of a man at a London restaurant, has been handed to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Other inquiries are understood to concern the alleged misuse of a corporate credit card and claims that Mr Dizaei advised a defence lawyer in the case of a woman involved in a road traffic accident.

But Mr Dizaei claims one of the reasons he was suspended was to prevent him representing Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, who last month agreed an out-of-court settlement in a race claim against the Met.

In 2003 Mr Dizaei was cleared at the Old Bailey of criminal charges relating to misconduct in public office and perverting the course of justice.

He later wrote a book entitled Not One of Us detailing a series of attacks on the force and fellow officers.

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