Corrupt Gwent CPS lawyer jailed over £20,000 bribe

A senior crown prosecutor who accepted a £20,000 bribe to drop a case has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Sarfraz Ibrahim, 51, of Cyncoed, Cardiff, who worked for Gwent CPS, was caught in a police sting.

He was jailed at Swansea Crown Court after previously admitting corruption, perverting the course of justice and misconduct in a public office.

The judge told Ibrahim it was a "great" breach of trust and he was sure he was motivated by personal gain.

The CPS is the body that reviews evidence gathered by police and then decides if cases should go to court.

Ibrahim was arrested last August after being caught in an undercover sting operation carried out by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca).

He and an associate were put under surveillance after Soca grew anxious about Ibrahim's potentially corrupt activities.

An "integrity test" was devised to see whether he and the associate were prepared to act corruptly.

The associate was eventually identified as a man called Saifur Rahman Khan, 37, who lived close to Ibrahim in Cardiff.

Over four months, until their arrest last summer, both men were gradually tested to see whether they were honest.

A fictional scenario was created which presented them with a chance for Ibrahim to use his position to intervene in a case in exchange for money.

It centred on an assault case which Ibrahim was able to "manoeuvre" in such a way that he was eventually able to mark it "no further action".

'Potentially corrosive effect'

Unknown to either man, the case was bogus and specifically created by Soca to test their honesty.

Mr Justice Treacy, passing sentence, told Ibrahim: "You did not just offend the core principles of your profession, but you committed crimes which are universally recognised as serious.

"The breach of trust is great. I am sure that you were motivated by personal gain from the outset.

"I know also that you lied to the police to conceal your guilt. It is clear to me that you were not persuaded or led in any of these offences by anyone else."

The judge also highlighted the speed with which Ibrahim had collected his share.

"The alacrity with which you collected your half of the £20,000 bribe tells its own story," he said.

He told Ibrahim that his actions had had a "potentially corrosive effect beyond this case".

When the guilty pleas were entered last month Ibrahim was immediately dismissed by the CPS.

Speaking after the sentencing, Director of Public Prosecutions, Kier Starmer QC, said the CPS would prosecute all cases of corruption "robustly".

"This behaviour will not be tolerated in our organisation," he added.

"The public has the right to expect the highest standards of professional behaviour from CPS employees and I will not tolerate anything less."