A Manchester cafe owner, Shams Sadiq (nicknamed “Shams”), says officers from Greater Manchester Police tried to recruit him to inform on Palestine Action. Sadiq, who owns two cafes, reports that the approach happened when he went to collect electronic devices that police had confiscated during his arrest last year, which was connected to alleged offences involving the group. He says officers offered financial incentives and suggested they would “turn a blind eye” to certain low-level offences if he agreed to provide information.
According to Sadiq, the discussions took place at Ashton-under-Lyne Police Station on 15 May, when two officers asked to speak with him privately. The reporting also notes that Palestine Action was proscribed after members allegedly broke into a military air base, and that the ban makes support for or membership of the group a criminal offence.
The outlets present Sadiq’s account of the alleged recruitment attempt, including the circumstances and alleged terms of the offer. None of the provided sources offers an opposing position from police within the excerpts.
