Disgraced: police officer living in Wigan jailed for corruption

PC Akeel Kadir was found guilty following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court in March 2024 after an investigation by GMP’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) and jailed for 15 months today (19/4/24).

The court was told Kadir, 54, of Kilburn Road, Orrell, abused his position within the force to “access secure systems and obtain confidential information in relation to police investigations and intelligence.”

Investigations showed tha Kadir accessed police systems to pass on confidential information to Junaid Patel, who ran Apex Claims Management (UK) Ltd in Bolton, a company which managed motor insurance claims.

Beyond this, Kadir further abused his authority by sharing confidential images of suspects of crime and personal details of those under investigation for sexual offences.

Kadir’s offending took place between 2013 and 2019. He initially shared information about crash victims – the company would then approach insurance companies offering hire cars and storage services.

Evidence from Kadir’s bank statements showed that Kadir was a frequent gambler but he claimed he passed any monies received from his co-accused to charity or that they were loans. These claims were proved to be false.

Kadir, who is based in GMP’s Bolton district, was found guilty of one count of knowingly or recklessly obtaining or disclosing personal data without the consent of the data controller and one count of conspiracy to commit police corruption.

Patel, 36, now living in Dubai but previously of Edstone Close, Bolton, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit police corruption.

Kadir was sentenced to 15 months in prison and must serve a one-year community order on release.

Patel given a nine-month suspended sentence and 120 hours of unpaid community work. Two other men were cleared of being involved in the scheme.

GMP’s Anti-Corruption Unit is part of the of the force’s Professional Standards Directorate that will relentlessly investigate corrupt officers and bring them to justice.

Dete Chief Insp Jennifer Adams, GMP’s Senior Investigating Officer for the investigation, said: “Our investigations revealed that PC Kadir was in the Apex offices when he was both on and off-duty, accessing confidential police information from his work mobile phone.

“The business obtained information they were not entitled to, without redaction, much faster than a solicitor could and without the fees a solicitor would have to pay.

“Apex would only be paid out if the client was not at fault. Kadir’s illegal activities meant they could find that information out quickly and not waste their time on clients who would make them no money.

“The claims management company charged insurance companies £7,000 for four weeks’ car hire and £1,400 for storage over the same period, so they were profiting significantly.

“Kadir received an array of benefits including car hire, car servicing, hospitality and loans from the co-accused.

"Our financial investigations also showed that the officer had a gambling problem.

“This was a lengthy and detailed investigation. The sentences handed down by the court today are testament to the diligence of the officers in the Anti-Corruption Unit and sends a clear message from the judiciary about the expectations it has of serving police officers.

"My officers tenaciously pursued all lines of enquiry to expose the full extent of this criminality to achieve a successful prosecution in co-operation with our colleagues in the Serious Crime Division of the Crown Prosecution Service.

"PC Kadir benefited personally from his activities and exposed other members of the public to unquantifiable risk by divulging sensitive personal information, which we can show was shared more widely amongst the community.

“Greater Manchester Police will continue to support officers who carry out their public duties in a lawful manner and investigate those who decide to break the law.

"Kadir has been suspended from his duties and now that criminal proceedings have concluded there will be an accelerated internal disciplinary process."