Yesterday, we reported George Galloway’s outraged claim that he was some sort of victim of a conspiracy involving his aide and a police officer. Galloway was particularly outraged that his aide had – gasp – had a trist with this police officer in Galloway’s house, and had written some rude emails about him.
You’ll remember that four years ago, Galloway made similar outlandish claims against a prominent police officer, with a particular focus on LGBT liaison: Chris Dreyfus. Well, this is how it ended:
On 25 June 2008 we published a posting, by Andy Newman, entitled “J’accuse! — the Dreyfus Affair”. This posting included a copy of a letter Mr George Galloway MP had sent to the RT Hon Jacqui Smith the Home Secretary, identifying Inspector Christopher Dreyfus as an agent provocateur at an anti-war demonstration in Parliament Square on 15 June 2008.
Mr Galloway said that he had observed Inspector Dreyfus commit various crimes, including incitement to violence, attempted assault on a police officer and several serious public order offences. He called upon the Home Secretary to conduct an inquiry into Inspector Dreyfus’ behaviour. Our posting called upon readers to comment on Mr Galloway’s letter. We made clear that Inspector Dreyfus denied the allegations.
We understand that, as a result of Mr Galloway’s letter, the matter has been comprehensively investigated by the British Transport Police and the Metropolitan Police, and that their findings have been reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service.
The investigations did not substantiate Ms Whittaker-Khan’s story or the allegations in Mr Galloway’s letter. The CPS has confirmed that there is no case to answer.
We now accept that Christopher Dreyfus was not present at the demonstration and did not engage in any of the criminal behaviour referred to in Ms Whittaker-Khan’s story or Mr Galloway’s letter. We apologize to him for the damage caused to his reputation.
Well, it looks like he has done it again. The police officer was her husband.
From The Guardian:
Even given his own talent for hyperbole, the claim George Gallowaymade on Sunday night was extraordinary: that he had discovered his secretary was working as an “agent” for a Metropolitan police counterterrorism officer who was running a “dirty tricks” campaign against him.
It was a serious allegation. “A direct attack on not just me but on democracy,” the MP said. He complained to the police, who promised an investigation, voluntarily referring the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. And he wrote to Theresa May, the home secretary, demanding an inquiry, saying he had “incontrovertible evidence” that the duo had set up fake email addresses to spread “rumour, disinformation and downright lies”.
But Galloway’s now former secretary, Aisha Ali-Khan, is fighting back. She says she is married to Afiz Khan, whom Galloway correctly identified as a detective inspector in the Met’s counter-terrorism unit, SO15.
She says the two wed in a Muslim ceremony in 2009 and have had an on-off, hush-hush relationship ever since. She is furious that their relationship is being presented as somehow illicit.
“Not only have I lost my job and my credibility but I’ve been branded this tart sleeping with random police officers.”
…
She says Galloway must have known about the marriage – she listed Khan as her spouse on the security clearance questionnaire she filled in to gain a parliamentary pass when she began her job in April, after Galloway’s sensational win for Respect in the Bradford West byelection. Her marriage certificate was included in the forms Galloway signed.
Even worse, she’s accusing Galloway of hacking her email:
Ali-Khan has filed a complaint with the Met, accusing Galloway of either hacking into her private emails or ordering someone else to do so. She believes there can be no other explanation for how he was able to quote verbatim, in his letter to May, from emails she and her husband had written to each other. Galloway says he was given the emails by his lawyer.
Ali-Khan believes she has been “thrown to the wolves” because she was disliked by certain male figures in Bradford’s Respect party who wanted her out, and because Galloway wanted to deflect attention from a story about his personal life which he believed was about to hit the papers.
More background:
Some men in Respect hated the fact that she was a non-hijab-wearing Muslim woman, she says. “The atmosphere around Respect was so hostile to women. I was seen as an outspoken, opinionated woman who had ideas, who made things happen, who organised events and the guys didn’t like it at all.”
She says she had poured her heart out to Khan, who sent her an email suggesting how to cope in the hostile environment of the constituency office. In the email, he reminds her that “all [Galloway’s] previous PAs have had short shelf lives” and that the fact that his last PA, also called Aisha, had refused to talk to her was “always an indication”.
He added: “You know that GG will do whatever to protect his name and an easy time [sic].” Knowing she was thinking of leaving, he warned her: “Be CAREFUL that u don’t go from the frying pan into the fire. There were already issues within the Respect Brad[ford].”
Why would Galloway make such bold claims against her? “For political gain,” says Ali-Khan. “For newspaper mileage as well. Also, in his mind, he believes that if he discredits me, and makes me out to be a complete slag, then his supporters, the majority of whom are men, will not believe anything that comes out of my mouth … Also, I think it was a form of intimidation. However way you look at it, George has seen my private emails when he had no right to do so. Not only has he seen my private emails, he has then published them on the internet. So my question is: how did he get hold of those emails?”
In the words of Nico and the Velvet Undeground: What a clown.
PS: One signatory of Galloway’s ill advised EDM: Mr G Galloway himself. I don’t expect that others will sign it.
