Met police chief 'bugged Asian officer'

LONDON: Britain's most senior police officer of Asian origin was illegally bugged and put under surveillance on the orders of the Metropolitan police chief, leaked Scotland Yard documents have revealed.
 
According to the papers, over 300 telephone calls of Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur were tapped in an elaborate operation overseen directly by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.
 
Ghaffur was also photographed at more than 30 meetings with another officer at restaurants and cafes in London in the operation codenamed 'Helios'.
 
The "bugging" claims surfaced as the Asian officer's lawyers prepare this week to announce formal legal proceedings for racial discrimination against Sir Ian who was placed under formal investigation by the UK Home Office this month.
 
"AC Ghaffur was the subject of direct surveillance and given a pseudo name (Vivaldi). This was a direct attack on his honesty and integrity," claim the documents prepared by Ghaffur's lawyers.
 
Once the senior Scotland Yard officer responsible for signing off on surveillance operations, Ghaffur claims Blair was hoping to trap him into indiscretions even though he did not have the proper legal authority to monitor him.
 
He has also claimed he was sidelined in his role as head of security preparations for the 2012 Olympics, was excluded from key meetings and had his contract renewed for one year instead of five.
 
"The Ghaffur case will expose the true position in relation to the discrimination within Scotland Yard at the highest level; it will reveal the reality of racism in the Met," Ghaffur's lawyer Shahrokh Mireskandari was quoted by the British newspaper as saying.
 
However, Sir Ian has rejected the racism claims.