News of the World? by Peter Burden

Author:Peter Burden
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Eye Books
Published: 2008-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

A FEIKH OF ARABY

With his invention of the Fake Shiekh, Mazher Mahmood changed the course of his life irreversibly: the role elevated him from being just another News of the World hack into a mythical figure, almost as famous as the paper itself. There has been wide speculation about details of both the ‘Shiekh’ and the man. Although always very chary of revealing anything about himself, after one of the ‘Shiekh’s’ best known and most spectacular performances (featuring Sophie, Countess of Wessex), Mazher was willing to reveal some of his methods to a News of the World reporter.

‘The tools of my trade are a wardrobe of over a dozen djellabia (loose-fitting, full-length Arab robes). Many of them are traditional white, though a few are for evening wear,’ he told Sarah Arnold. ‘Normally I wear the white robe, called an agal, with a variety of head scarves and Arab rings, called the ghatra. I also have a black, gold-embroidered robe to wear on top. This would only be worn by royalty in the Middle East.’

It’s worth noting, as a reflection of Mahmood’s slovenly reporting and lack of accuracy, that the ‘agal’ is not a robe; it is the rope cord ring that secures the headdress, and ‘ghatra’ is a term for the head scarf only. But Mahmood could never be bothered in ten years of appearing as the ‘Shiekh’, to learn more than two or three basic phrases in Arabic.

‘But what makes it all work is the entourage,’ he goes on. ‘I have a whole team of people including my two stand-in Shiekhs, accompanied by security staff, assistants and Arab women covered by traditional dress.

‘Every whim of the Shiekh is catered for… his glass is always full of apple juice because the Shiekh is teetotal. And when he clicks his fingers one of the assistants produces a cigar which is then lit for him.

‘The robes and entourage are so convincing that other Arabs staying at the hotels often come up and shake hands, which adds even more to the image.’

Key to the success of a Fake Shiekh sting was identifying a target’s greed, commercial ambition or financial straits and presenting himself as a bottomless source of money, which always put Mahzer in a disarmingly strong position with all but the most righteous. Although he has had failures, the large majority of his victims have been completely taken in thanks in large part to a dedicated team which has become increasingly slick and efficient with experience.

Mahmood’s investigations unit was at one time supported by the News of the World with an exceptional budget, rumoured to run to £500,000 a year, which allowed him to hire whatever trappings were required to create total verisimilitude in his deceptions - suites in The Dorchester, Rolls Royces and Ferraris, lavishly clothed fake harems to accompany him. At times he employed a team of up to 12 assistants and back-ups. In addition to a permanent bodyguard, he was assisted variously by photographer Steve Grayson, old friend

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