yesterday the capitalist state exonerated the police gunman who shot and wounded Muhammad Abdul Kahar during the dawn police raid in Forest Gate last June.
At the same time Scotland Yard sought to blacken the name of Muhammad Abdul Kahar by arresting him and levelling pornography charges against him, arousing massive anger in the Forest Gate area and throughout the workers’ movement in Britain.
An Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) report on the Forest Gate shooting concluded that it was accidental.
IPCC Commissioner Deborah Glass said: ‘In the circumstances I conclude that the officer has committed no criminal or disciplinary offence.’
‘I am deeply disgusted by this report; I feel we’ve been let down by the IPCC as well as the police,’ said Muhammad Abdul Kahar’s sister, Humeya Kalam.
‘They haven’t done a thorough investigation; they seemed to have rushed it,’ she added.
‘When they first spoke to us they told us it would take at least seven months and this has been done in just over two months.’
Solicitors for Muhammad Abdul Kahar expressed ‘dismay at the findings’ and ‘the processes adopted’.
A statement said: ‘We also feel that the IPCC investigation was rushed, failed to question the police officers involved and drew conclusions unsupported by the forensic evidence.
‘Our client has been under immense pressure since this incident.
‘We were concerned and asked the IPCC to delay the publication of the report until we had an opportunity to discuss it with him.
‘However, despite the IPCC being aware that Mr Abdul Kahar was being interviewed by the police in respect of offences which he strenuously denies, they none the less decided to proceed with publication today for what can only be their own convenience!
‘Consequently he has not had an opportunity to consider their findings.’
The solicitors added: ‘The IPCC has concluded that the officer involved shot Mr Abdul Kahar accidentally.
‘We cannot see how the IPCC can draw such a conclusion when the forensic scientist, whose report they say they are relying on, was not able to conclude whether officer B6 accidentally or deliberately discharged his weapon.
‘What he does say, however, is that it takes at least 9lbs of pressure to pull the trigger on the weapon used.’
• The IPCC is expected to exonerate Metropolitan Police Commissioner Blair after questioning yesterday under disciplinary caution, over his role in the aftermath of the murder of Jean Charles de Menezes.
