A businessman whose lies under oath helped clear a man accused of threatening a business associate with murder by the Taliban has been jailed.
Mohammed Arshid admitted a charge of perjury after he gave false evidence during the bizarre trial of Mohammed Yasin at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Yasin stood trial accused of extortion after he allegedly took up to £5,000 from Zubaier Akhter by showing him pictures of men with guns and rocket launchers himself among them who he claimed were members of the Taliban and threatening he and his family with death.
But he was cleared by a jury in November 2010 after Arshid lied to the court.
Almost two years after he first appeared in court, and after months of extensive investigations in the UK and Pakistan, Arshid finally admitted lying under oath.
The 57-year-old, of Seaforth Road in Broughty Ferry, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of perjury and has now been jailed for 17 months.
Sheriff George Way told him: “Lies can mean truly guilty people walk free perjury strikes at the fundamental basis of our system of justice.
“You lied when giving evidence in a jury trial which is a very grave crime.
“Integrity lies at the root of your own personal faith and breaching that has a profound impact and will have brought you shame and condemnation.
“However, I can’t accept the gravity of the crime you committed merits anything else than custody.”
During the trial the court heard claims that the men in the pictures were actors.
Yasin said they were simply “acting like Rambo” in the shots.