Dizaei has been suspended from duty since September, and these particular charges relate to just one of three investigations concerning him. One is looking at dodgy expenses claims (ah, zeitgeisty), while another is checking out links between the officer and Natela Grinina's lawyers - Grinina being the Georgian national convicted in her absence of a hit-and-run killing in South Kensington.
But Dizaei claims the real motivation behind his suspension was to prevent him representing Tarique Ghaffur, who ended up settling his claim of discrimination. Dizaei, who's also the Chairman of the Metropolitan Black Police Association, has his own claim in front of the tribunal. And he may have a point. The High Court cleared him of accusations ranging from corruption to being an Iranian spy (?!) back in 2003, and in 2006 it was revealed the Met had illegally tapped 3,500 of his private phone calls. We'll be watching developments with interest.
