Mesut Ozil laid on Emirates hospitality for Met police officers less than 24 hours after Arsenal man was investigated for assault
Ozil, who is due to play for Germany in Sunday’s World Cup final, became a police suspect following an alleged assault.
Two of the officers in the box had been sent to take a statement from Ozil..
They accepted an invitation to a Premier League match against Sunderland on February 22 in North London the following afternoon – and the third detective came along too.
On Friday, after the Mail showed its evidence to Scotland Yard, the Met began an inquiry and said the officers would be questioned under criminal caution.
Freelance photographer Lee Essex dialled 999 on February 21 claiming Ozil had driven his Porsche into him, knocking his arm with a wing mirror.
Police and an ambulance attended the scene, near the footballer’s North London mansion.
The next day, two of the detectives investigating the case – said to be ‘avid Arsenal fans’ – and a female colleague were treated to seats in Ozil’s private box at the Emirates.
Police later announced that after ‘careful consideration’ no action would be taken.
Ozil, who starred in Germany’s extraordinary 7-1 drubbing of Brazil in Tuesday’s Word Cup semi-final, was not playing in the match because of an injury, so was in his box with the officers to watch his team beat the Black Cats 4-1.
Detective Sergeant Simon Jones and Detective Constable Dean Sliney were joined by Detective Constable Helen Nicolson, who was photographed grinning as she shook hands with Ozil.
Officers accepting hospitality from a suspect raises serious questions for the Met.
Mr Essex, 60, claims Ozil drove at him as he was on the pavement trying to take photographs of the German near his six-bedroom £7million mansion. He says the car’s wing mirror hit his arm.
Ozil disputes this. His spokesman claims the photographer chased and hit Ozil’s car. The detectives were called in to trace Ozil and are understood to have taken a statement from him.
On March 28, Mr Essex received a letter from the Met saying no further action would be taken. Met chiefs are said to be ‘fuming’ over the revelations involving the officers.
A source said: ‘This is stupidity rather than corruption. Their very appearance at this match while an investigation is ongoing will draw the Met into disrepute.
We have rules and procedures in place so this thing doesn’t happen. They’ve not been corrupt and the investigation was handled way above them, but they’ve allowed this perception to compromise them.
'It’s their naivety and stupidity that is the problem and the Met is taking this extremely seriously. It doesn’t look good.’
Scotland Yard said the officers had been investigated following a complaint from a colleague in February.
A spokesman said: ‘In February, officers in Haringey received a complaint from a member of MPS staff concerning the attendance of a detective sergeant and two detective constables at a football match on Saturday, February 22.
'The matter was reported to the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) who are investigating the allegations.
‘The Independent Police Complaints Commission were informed and are supervising the investigation.
‘The officers are due to be interviewed under caution by detectives from the DPS. The investigation is ongoing.
‘On Friday, February 21, police attended [a road in North London] where a member of the public reported he had been in collision with a vehicle and had sustained minor injuries.
‘Following a review of the evidence by the Met Prosecutions, Traffic Evidential Review and Case Management Services, which found no independent evidence, a decision to take no further action was made on March 28. Both parties were advised.’
Tthere was no comment from Ozil on Friday night. Arsenal said it was a ‘private matter’.
source: Dailymail
No comments:
Post a Comment