PA
Sunday, December 10, 2006
The Metropolitan Police unlawfully tapped the phone of one of
their own senior officers, it was reported today.
The force listened to calls made by Chief Superintendent Ali
Dizaei, legal adviser to the National Black Police Association
(NBPA) and one of Britain's most senior ethnic minority police
officers.
The interception has been ruled unlawful by the Investigatory
Powers Tribunal, the BBC reported.
The NBPA said the tapping included calls in which Mr Dizaei gave
advice to black and Asian colleagues in disputes with their own
forces.
It said Mr Dizaei's calls were tapped during a police investigation
called Operation Helios, during which the force recorded 3,500
private calls.
According to the BBC, the tribunal ruled that there were "no
lawful grounds for the private intercepts".
A spokesman for the NBPA told the BBC they would be seeking compensation
for members.
A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said: "The Investigatory
Powers Tribunal sat recently and we are reviewing their findings
and assessing the implications."
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