Belmarsh prison guard, 30, given ‘money and gifts’ to lie for murder suspect who gunned down man on doorstep is jailed
A BELMARSH prison officer who lied for a murder suspect after he showered her with “money, gifts and promises” has been jailed.
Wiktoria Bujko, 30, reported a false confession to cops while working at the high-security lock-up to protect sick killer Mohammed Moshaer Ali, 31.
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Ali was later convicted and put behind bars, along with Aaron Campbell, 31, and Antonio Afflick-McLeod, 32, for shooting dad-of-two Iron Miah on his doorstep in November 2019.
However, while the trio had been awaiting trial on remand at Belmarsh prison, Bujko agreed to lie to police after Ali paid her £500.
The disgraceful prison officer, who has a masters degree in criminology, was showered with “gifts and promises”, including a car, in exchange for her false report.
Her sick web of lies derailed the trial before the defendants were eventually convicted of murder, causing even more prolonged suffering for Mr Miah’s family.
Iron Miah was gunned down after being lured from his house in Tower Hamlets, East London and into a Volkswagen Polo with Campbell, Ali and Afflick-McLeod.
As the dad-of-two stepped out of the car he was brutally shot in the back of the head.
He was blue lighted to hospital but tragically suffered serious brain damage and was removed from life support two days later.
The weapon has never been found, but drugs and a sawn-off-shotgun were recovered at Afflick-McLeod’s home.
CCTV footage from a local shop also revealed the defendant had bought a SIM card a day before which had been used to contact Ali.
Ali, Campbell and Afflick-McLeod were sent to Belmarsh while they awaited trial, where Ali then involved Bujko in a twisted plan.
After being persuaded with money and gifts, Bujko told cops that she overheard a conversation in the jail’s healthcare unit between Campbell and another inmate.
She said Campbell had suggested he and Afflick-McLeod planned to rob Ali of drugs on the day of the killing, but Iron had been sent in his place.
Her fake story was later debunked by police when they reviewed CCTV footage within the healthcare unit and saw Campbell had not been there at the time Bujko claimed to be.
She was arrested in December 2022 and pleaded guilty to conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
Prosecutor Crispin Aylett, KC, told the Old Bailey that “outrageous liar” Ali had convinced Bujko to make an “entirely false account of a confession by Campbell”.
The court heard how Bujko and Ali, a married dad-of-two, previously met at HMP Thameside – where he worked as a cleaner while he was an inmate.
They began messaging in secret while at Belmarsh, with the prison officer claiming she was “vulnerable” and felt more comfortable with inmates as they were nicer to her than fellow officers.
Ali’s family even got involved, treating Bujko to dinners, gifts and drugs.
CHILLING TEXTS
The jury were told how she had texted a friend about their interactions and wrote a chilling message: “I got several things gifted from him, I’m not gonna lie. He’ll be out for Christmas.”
Bujko’s barrister, Abigail Bright, said her client was “genuinely really and truly” sorry.
“She has felt this absolute and demolishing fall from grace as especially hard to bear,” said the barrister.
“As a former prison officer, now utterly disgraced, her fall could not have been any harder.”
Bujko and Ali both admitted perverting the course of justice.
Ali was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 36 years, while Bujko was jailed for four years and eight months.
Judge Nigel Lickley, KC, said: “You both embarked on a brazen plan to disrupt the second trial in this matter by producing a false prison report implicating Antonio Afflick-McLeod in murder and exonerating you, Mohamed Ali.
“Thankfully as a result of requests made by the defence team to investigate it became clear the two of you concocted a plan to disrupt that trial and bring about a positive result for Mohamed Ali.
“As a result that trial had to be abandoned resulting in great public expense and the trial delayed by a further year.
“You Wiktoria were prepared to come into court and lie on oath.
“You knew each other as prisoner and prison officer at HMP Belmarsh and had both been at HMP Thameside before.
“You had been in a corrupt and dishonest relationship, money had been sent, gifts given and a car promised to Wiktoria Bujko.
“Friends and relatives had taken Wiktoria out for meals and supplied her with drugs.”
The judge also spoke about the horror murder.
He said: “You chose to murder him outside his home so members of his own family would be the first to find him outside on the pavement.
“He had regarded you, Ali, as a friend. You educed him to come out and do you a favour. You betrayed him.”
Ali, of Western Avenue, Dagenham, Afflick-McLeod, of Mayfair Avenue, Ilford, and Campbell, of Star Road, Hammersmith, all denied but were convicted of murder.
Bujko, of Marlborough Road, Woolwich and Ali both admitted perverting the course of justice.
Detective Chief Inspector David Whellams of the Metropolitan Police said: “My team have worked tirelessly over a long period of time to ensure that Iron’s family could receive the justice they deserve.
“This was a deliberate and callous act of violence in a residential area. Nobody deserves to be the victim of such brutality and the three people convicted today will undoubtedly spend a significant time in jail. Our streets are safer without these people at large.
“I would like to pay tribute to Iron’s family, who have been extremely supportive of the investigation in the face of a long road to justice, while living with the trauma of losing their loved one.”
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