A wealthy international businessman accused of using a Bolton police pal to get confidential information to help his companies has denied the claims.

Soyab Dhalech who has business interests in Bolton as well as South Africa, Morocco and Dubai, is on trial at Liverpool Crown Court along with a colleague and PC Akeel Kadir.

Dhalech, 53, of Princess Road, Lostock, Bolton; Kadir and Junaid Patel, 36, of Edstone Close, Bolton, all deny conspiracy to improperly exercise police powers and privileges between April 13, 2015 and November 13, 2019.

It is alleged that 54-year-old Kadir, of Kilburn Road, Orrell, Wigan, received over £8,000 for the information with payments often overseen by Dhalech and coming via third party company payments.

Nicholas Johnson, KC, prosecuting, said: “PC Kadir quickly spent the money he received, mainly through online gambling."

When opening the case Mr Johnson told the jury that the case arose from an investigation by the GMP Anti-Corruption Unit into Kadir.

He alleged Kadir abused his position within the force to access secure systems and obtain confidential police information, which he then shared to the benefit of friends, who were not part of the force.

Patel and Dhalech, were connected to a motor insurance claims company called Apex Claims (UK) Ltd based in Apex House in Bolton.

Much of the information Kadir provided was not for a proper policing purpose but to help out the business interests of his friends, the court heard.

Dhalech told the court that he believed two £1,000 cheques given to Kadir were for sponsorship of a Blackburn football team organised by the local mosque and for another officer’s marathon.

He said that “I am hardly in the UK’ and while he would authorise sponsorship, as he gave 20 per cent of his income to charity, he did not sign the cheques.

The court has heard that £3,100 cash was given to Kadir in October 2016 after his wedding and he sent a message to Dhalech thanking him for the gift and money.

Dhalech said that he and Patel, like the other 200 plus guests, had just given him £50 in a brown envelope at the wedding and a bottle of perfume or aftershave as is the tradition in the Asian community.

Mr Johnson has told the court that on November 5, 2017 Kadir sent a message to Dhalech saying ‘"thanks so much for helping me” and attaching bank transfer details.

Two days later a £3000 transfer was made into his account from Alex Client Account.

Dhalech said that he had given Kadir the money as a loan as he had on-going building works which he could not afford to pay for as his wife had been diagnosed with cancer and he was off work.

He said that if he did not get it back “it would not make me poor. If they cannot pay me I am happy to walk away.”

Asked by his barrister James Pickup, KC, “Have you ever requested Akeel Kadir to do anything which might be regarded as improper?” he replied “no.”

“Was money paid for favours done you by Kadir?” asked Mr Pickup. “That is not true,” replied Dhalech.

Kadir also faces three offences involving “knowingly or recklessly” obtaining or disclosing personal data on August 22, 2018, March 2, 2019 and 26 March, 2019 without consent of the data controller, which he denies.

The court has heard that Kadir joined GMP in April 2005 and he was stationed as a uniformed officer in Bolton until 2019 when he moved to Wigan.

The jury is expected to retire next week to begin their deliberations.

The case continues