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April 4, 2006updated 22 Nov 2022 6:47pm

Galloway distributes photos of ‘fake sheikh’ Mahmood

By Press Gazette

By Dominic Ponsford

MP George Galloway and media commentator Professor Roy Greenslade today joined forces to demand the retirement of News of the World investigations editor Mazher Mahmood.

Galloway is angry after being targeted by one of Mahmood trademark "fake sheikh" stings.

The Respect Party MP claims Mahmood tried to criminally entrap him into accepting political bribes and making anti-Semitic comments.

Galloway handed out two photos of Mahmood at a press conference held at Portcullis House in Westminster this afternoon. He said he would also publish the images on his web site and the web site of his political party, Respect. Galloway has also sent copies of the photos to members of Parliament and the Royal family.

Galloway said: "I think people in public life should know what this man looks like…

"I call on the News of the World to announce his retirement. It’s no longer acceptable for this man to be flying under the flag of the freedom of the press when he is in fact abusing the whole concept of freedom of the press," said Galloway.

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Greenslade, a long-standing critic of Mahmood’s methods, said he has previously run foul of the News of the World’s lawyers when he has tried to criticise Mahmood in the press.

"It’s clear that Mazher Mahmood needs to be stopped," said Greenslade.

The News of the World this afternoon asked the press not to publish the photographs distributed by Galloway.

"Both Mahmood and his family are the subject of death threats which police regard as serious and credible", the newspaper’s statement said.

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