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Profile ponders Dizaei paperback

18.12.07 Tom Tivnan

Serpent's Tail is considering a paperback release of controversial chief superintendent Ali Dizaei's memoir, despite having to pulp the hardcover.

Dizaei, his co-author Tim Phillips and Serpent's Tail parent Profile Books were forced late last month to pay "substantial" damages, issue a public apology and destroy the book after being sued for libel by Stephen Otter, head of Devon and Cornwall police. Otter claimed Dizaei's Not One of Our Own misrepresented evidence Otter had given in Dizaei's legal battle against racism in Scotland Yard, the centrepiece of the book.

Stephen Brough, Profile co-founder, said a firm decision has yet to be made on the publication of a reworked paperback edition, but would be made when movie rights were negotiated. He added: "The idea is to pin in the paperback with the film interest there has been in the book. It's obviously a great story and there is still plenty of interest."

Profile had given copies of Not One of Our Own to the Metropolitan Police prior to publication in March 2007. "That is what is unfortunate about the case. We made the book available to the Met and any officers with objections could have contacted us," Brough said.

Book tom tivnan Profile Ali Dizaei

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