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guardian.co.uk - UK
27 August 2008

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Metropolitan Police Service, U

Top Asian officer sets out rac

Britain's most senior Asian police officer yesterday directly accused Sir Ian Blair, the Met commissioner, of repeatedly racially discriminating against him.

Tarique Ghaffur, an assistant commissioner at Scotland Yard, accused his chief of a catalogue of unfair treatment as the civil war at the top of policing erupted in public. His employment tribunal claim says Blair subjected him to "degrading and humiliating" treatment and repeatedly tried to undermine him.

The claim was lodged last Friday but the Guardian has learned extensive details. Ghaffur will allege he was: harassed by Blair and another senior officer; repeatedly excluded from crucial meetings and discussions; criticised by a fellow senior officer about his language skills in a way which amounted to racial discrimination; and victimised by the commissioner in a face to face meeting over his decision to bring a discrimination claim.

Ghaffur yesterday spoke publicly for the first time since lodging his employment tribunal claim. At a news conference he said he loved the Met and added: "My case is essentially to do with my treatment at the highest levels of the Met, in particular the discrimination I have been subjected to over a long period by the present commissioner, Sir Ian Blair."

The Met commissioner has talked of having a "long, honourable and occasionally blood-stained record on the championing of diversity". In his employment tribunal claim, Ghaffur repeatedly contradicts that assertion.

Only hours after Ghaffur spoke, the Met denied the claims and urged him to "shut up" and get on with his job. Deputy Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said the force did not think the tribunal was necessary and would "robustly challenge" the allegations, which are also aimed at Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Bryant.

The tribunal will see the Metropolitan police again challenged to defend itself against claims of racism. Sitting alongside Ghaffur, Alfred John, chairman of the Met's Black Police Association, repeated charges of institutional and individual racism in the force.

Ghaffur claims he was undermined as head of central operations, with his opinion being ignored on key issues and appointments made without him being consulted. He claims his subordinates reported directly to Blair on key issues, thus undermining his authority.

The 53-year-old officer is suing on three fronts: race, religion and age. He blames the commissioner over a decision to renew his contract of employment by one year, rather than the three he wanted.

The decision was made by the Metropolitan police authority but Ghaffur says it was swayed by an intervention by Blair. In his claim, he cites a white officer who was given a longer extension.

The longest section of the claim relates to Ghaffur's role running the Met's input into security for the 2012 London Olympics. He claims Blair and Bryant discriminated against him.

Ghaffur says this was despite a government report on the work he had done on Olympic security praising him and another official review hailing his "visible leadership". He claims his duties were reduced, and he was excluded from key meetings. Ghaffur even alleges that important documents relating to Olympic security were kept from him.

His employment tribunal claim says both Blair and Bryant harassed him and their actions had the "effect of creating a degrading and humiliating environment" for the Asian officer.

Ghaffur alleges the commissioner victimised him for preparing to bring a racial discrimination claim, an allegation that if proven could add to any damages he receives from a tribunal. He says he was summoned to a face to face meeting with Blair last month and told he would be removed from his role at the top of the Met if he continued with his legal action.

Ghaffur says in his claim that the discrimination goes back to 2000, when Blair was the deputy commissioner and in charge of the corruption unit which investigated a high-flying Asian officer to whom Ghaffur was a mentor.

The claim says Ghaffur was subjected to covert surveillance and was the only senior officer excluded from meetings about that corruption investigation. He claims this sent out the message to his senior colleagues that he could not be trusted and unfairly placed his integrity in doubt.

He also says that in one incident a senior officer used what amounted to racist remarks, saying that Ghaffur could not be understood when he spoke.

At his news conference, Ghaffur's lawyer, Shahrokh Mireskandari, said Blair's fitness to continue as commissioner would hinge on the outcome of the case.

Senior Yard sources say the force's leadership are "furious" at Ghaffur over the way he has conducted himself, a sentiment reflected in Stephenson's statement: "In short, I think it is long past time we shut up, stop making public statements about a private dispute and get on with the job we are paid to do.

"I do not think it was appropriate for this matter to be conducted in such a public way."

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Article sourced from

guardian.co.uk - UK27 August 2008

Top Asian officer sets out rac

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guardian.co.uk - UK
27 August 2008