A British policeman on Thursday became the first serving officer prosecuted for right-wing terrorism in the UK after he was unmasked by a leak of data from a neo-Nazi website.
The leak identified London police officer and avowed racist Ben Hannam, 22, as a member of banned right-wing group National Action.
A judge told Hannam that he faced a jail sentence after a jury found him guilty.
Police started an investigation after the data dump from extremist site Iron March in November 2019 that listed a number of subscribers around the world. They identified a user who went by the name of Anglisc as Hannam.
Hannam used the site to recruit for National Action, a group that celebrated violence and considered Adolf Hitler a divine figure. When police searched his home, they found a photo of Hannam wearing a police uniform and with a Hitler-style moustache superimposed on his face, Sky News reported.
The group was proscribed for promoting acts of terrorism after the murder of a British Member of Parliament, Jo Cox, by a right-wing extremist in June 2016.
The jury heard that Hannam attended a National Action meeting at a pub in central London, in March 2016, and a conference the following month., before the group was banned.
But he continued to attend events in 2017 including a boxing training camp – in apparent preparation for a race war. He was captured on mobile phone footage spraying extremist graffiti for a promotional video.
He applied to join the Metropolitan police, the country’s largest force, in July 2017. He submitted vetting forms in October but made no mention of his right-wing links.
The forms asked anyone to declare if they had been a member of the right-wing British National Party, or any similar group with racist ideologies.
A reference from his former university raised no concerns but the trial was told that teachers reported Hannam as being openly racist at his school.
Police said that any known involvement with National Action ended by October 2017, six months before he became a probationer in London’s main force.
He was a police officer for two years before he was arrested over his membership of National Action.
Police searches of his home uncovered a notebook in which he made references to National Action and drew a neo-Nazi logo.
They also found National Action business cards, books related to fascism and far-right wing ideologies, as well as a piece of paper with the password and user details for the Iron March forum. A memory stick contained documents including a guide on how to use knives in combat and an extremist manifesto compiled by Anders Breivik before he killed 77 people in a bomb and shooting attack in Norway.
“Once we identified that fact, we acted very swiftly and robustly to investigate the matter and put him before the courts,” Commander Richard Smith said.
Hannam was charged in 2020 with fraud, relating to false information on his vetting forms, and terrorist offences. He was suspended from the force after his arrest.
A review of work suggested there were no complaints about him for racism during his short and undistinguished career.
One of his former associates at National Action, Oskar Dunn-Koczorowski, was jailed in November 2018 for encouraging an attack on Prince Harry because of his marriage to a woman of mixed race.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,900m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 2,000m
8.15pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
