London, July 11:Scotland police chief, who was accused by an Asian-origin officer of racial discrimination against him, has dismissed the charges and said he has championed issues of diversity throughout his career as a senior officer.

Giving evidence at an employment tribunal of Commander Shabir Hussain, one of his most senior colleagues, who claims that he was overlooked for promotion in favour of white candidates on four occasions, Sir Ian Blair admitted he had shouted at the Asian commander but “I have championed issues of diversity throughout my career as a senior police officer”.

Sir Blair admitted to being “pretty brusque” to Hussain and shouting at him in a strategic meeting two years ago, but dismissed claims that he fostered a “golden circle” of favoured white officers around him. “I refute that allegation. The Metropolitan Police service has a proud record of meritocracy,” he said.

“It is inconceivable that I would seek to block the promotion of a senior ethnic minority officer and any suggestion to that effect would be seen as an extraordinary aberration. I refute it totally,” he said.

Hussain(45) has alleged racial discrimination against the Metropolitan Police Authority, its chairman Len Duvall and Sir Ian.

The commissioner rebutted suggestions that Hussain had been sidelined after being sent to command the traffic unit at the Met in 2005 and added that a claim that he lobbied for other successful candidates ahead of him was “baseless.”

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