I have lost faith in UK justice system: Tariq Jahan

LONDON: The father of a man killed in the Birmingham riots says he has lost faith in justice system after Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) report on police conduct in failed prosecution of eight suspects.

Tariq Jahan was speaking following publication of IPCC report into the criminal investigation and particularly the conduct of two senior officers in the case.

He called for a public inquiry into the conduct of the police's murder investigation, after a report found the case had been mishandled.

Tariq Jahan called West Midlands Police's inquiry into the deaths of his son Haroon Jahan, 20, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30 and 31-year-old Abdul Musavir, in August 2011 "a complete shambles".

It concluded one of the detectives had a case to answer for gross misconduct - although would not face disciplinary proceedings as he had since retired - but it cleared the senior investigating officer of any professional failings.

The three men died when they were struck by a Mazda being driven in the Winson Green area of Birmingham, while they were out trying to protect local shops from looters.

In July 2012, eight men were tried at Birmingham Crown Court and acquitted of their murder.

However, 10 weeks into that trial, the judge Justice Julian Flaux expressed concerns about the evidence of senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Anthony Tagg over the fact eye witnesses to the incident had been offered immunity in the investigation.

The IPCC investigation found Detective Inspector Khalid Kiyani had been "reckless" when making that offer of immunity.

Jahan said the police investigation had been riddled with "a catalogue of errors" and "incompetence".

He said: "I believe that the judge stopping the trial made a huge impact." He also added it was his belief Kiyani was "a scapegoat".

"Where were the senior officers in this case?" he said.

"Who was in charge of DCI Tagg?" Jahan added: "I believe a public inquiry into the actions of the police and the Crown Prosecution Service in this case should be ordered by the Home Secretary, Theresa May."

Jahan, a delivery driver, was speaking at a press conference organised just yards from the location in Dudley Road where a car ploughed into his son in the early hours of August 10, leaving Haroon and his two friends - one an expectant father - fatally injured in the road.

Jahan said he was merely seeking "accountability" from the police, and that the IPCC's report had presented "more questions than answers".

"We seem to be left with nothing, no justice, no clarity and we need transparency for the ordinary people sitting here," he said.