Police probe into Sir Mo Farah's childhood 'should be up to Mo,' says Zahawi

13 July 2022, 09:00

Zahawi on Mo Farah trafficking investigation

Sir Mo Farah's trafficking ordeal should only be investigated by police if it is what the Olympian wants, Tory leadership hopeful Nadhim Zahawi has said.

The Metropolitan Police is "assessing" allegations made by the Olympic champion that he was trafficked into the UK as a child under a fake name.

The sporting great made the bombshell revelation in a BBC documentary this week, claiming he was forced to work as a servant.

There is now a possibility the Met will investigate his arrival into the UK but Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi told LBC Sir Mo "should be the priority".

"If Mo Farah doesn't want it investigated then it shouldn't be," Mr Zahawi told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast.

"I think we need to talk to Mo Farah because he is a great man, he's been through an extraordinary life, and what a harrowing tale.

Read more: Mo Farah reveals he was illegally trafficked to UK from Somalia as a child

"I thought my journey from an immigrant boy from Baghdad to this great country of ours was an extraordinary story, but what he has had to endure, in my view, should make him the priority for all of us."

He added: "The police need to talk to Sir Mo Farah first before they do anything else."

The Home Office, which has the power to legally strip individuals of their British citizenship if it is found to have been obtained illegally, has said it would be taking no action "whatsoever" against the athlete.

A No10 spokesman said of the Olympic champion: "He is a sporting hero, he is an inspiration to people across the country.

"It is a shocking reminder of the horrors that people face when they are trafficked. And we must continue to clamp down on these criminals who take advantage of vulnerable people."

It comes after the Met said specialist officers were "assessing" Sir Mo's allegations that he was trafficked into the UK.

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During the documentary, named The Real Mo Farah, the four-time Olympic champion revealed the name he goes by was given to him and he was actually born as Hussein Abdi Kahin.

He said "the truth is I'm not who you think I am", adding he needs to tell his real story "whatever the cost" in a tell-all documentary.

"Most people know me as Mo Farah, but it's not my name or it's not the reality," he said.

"The real story is I was born in Somaliland, north of Somalia, as Hussein Abdi Kahin. Despite what I've said in the past, my parents never lived in the UK.

"When I was four my dad was killed in the civil war, you know as a family we were torn apart.

"I was separated from my mother, and I was brought into the UK illegally under the name of another child called Mohamed Farah."

The 39-year-old said he thought he was going to Europe to live with relatives and recalled going through a UK passport check under the guise of Mohamed at the age of nine.

He was later helped to obtain UK citizenship by his school PE teacher Alan Watkinson, while still using the name Mohamed Farah.

Sir Mo said he is "relieved" that the Home Office is not going to take any action against him after telling his story.

"This is my country, if it wasn't for Alan (Watkinson) and the people that supported me throughout my childhood then maybe I wouldn't even have the courage to be doing this," he said.

"There's a lot of people that have been very supportive, particularly my wife, throughout my career and gave me the strength to come and talk about it and telling me it's ok to do this."