Belmarsh prison guard, 30, given ‘money and gifts’ for lying for murder suspect who shot man on doorstep, is in jail
A BELMARSH prison officer who lied to a murder suspect after showering her with “money, gifts and promises” has been jailed.
Wikitoria Bujko30, reported a false confession to police while working in the high-security lock-up to protect ailing 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 father-of-two Iron Miah on his doorstep in November 2019.
However, while the trio were on remand in Belmarsh prison, Bujko agreed to lie to police after Ali paid her £500.
The disgraced prison guard, who has a master’s degree in criminology, was showered with “gifts and promises”, including a car, in return for her false report.
Her sick web of lies derailed the trial before the defendants were ultimately convicted of murder, prolonging the suffering of Mr Miah’s family.
Iron Miah was shot after being lured from his home in Tower Hamlets, east London, into a Volkswagen Polo with Campbell, Ali and Afflick-McLeod.
As the father of two got out of the car, he was brutally shot in the back of the head.
He was taken to hospital by blue light but tragically suffered severe brain damage and was taken off life support two days later.
The gun was never found, but drugs and a sawed-off shotgun were recovered from Afflick-McLeod’s home.
CCTV footage from a local store also showed that the suspect had purchased a SIM card a day earlier that he could have used to contact Ali.
Ali, Campbell and Afflick-McLeod were sent to Belmarsh to await trial, where Ali then implicated Bujko in a twisted scheme.
After being persuaded with money and gifts, Bujko told police she overheard a conversation between Campbell and another inmate in the prison’s health care unit.
She said Campbell had suggested he and Afflick-McLeod had planned to rob Ali of drugs on the day of the murder, but Iron had been sent in his place.
Her fake story was later debunked by Police when they viewed CCTV footage within the care unit and saw that Campbell had not been there at the time Bujko claimed he was.
She was arrested in December 2022 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC told the Old Bailey that the “outrageous liar” had convinced Ali Bujko to make a “completely false account of a confession by Campbell”.
The court heard how Bujko and Ali, a married father of two, previously met at HMP Thameside – where he worked as a cleaner while in prison.
They began secretly messaging while at Belmarsh, with the prison officer claiming she was “vulnerable” and felt more comfortable with the prisoners as they were nicer to her than fellow officers.
Ali’s family even got involved, treating Bujko to dinners, gifts and drugs.
Chilling lyrics
The jury was told how she texted a friend about their interactions and wrote a chilling message: “I got several things from him, I’m not going to lie. He’ll be away for Christmas.”
Bujko’s lawyer, Abigail Bright, said her client was “truly and sincerely” sorry.
“She has found this absolute and devastating fall from grace extremely difficult to bear,” the lawyer said.
“As a former prison guard, now completely disgraced, her fall could not have been 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 received four years and eight months in prison.
Judge Nigel Lickley QC said: ‘You both embarked on a brazen plan to disrupt the second trial of this case by producing a false prison report implicating Antonio Afflick-McLeod in murder and implicating you, Mohamed Ali acquitted.
“Fortunately, as a result of the defense team’s requests to investigate, it became clear that the two of you had devised a plan to disrupt that process and secure a positive outcome for Mohamed Ali.
“As a result, that trial had to be abandoned, which led to significant public costs and the trial was postponed for another year.
“You Wiktoria was willing to go to court and lie under oath.
‘You knew each other as a prisoner and prison officer at HMP Belmarsh and had both previously been to HMP Thameside.
“You had a corrupt and dishonest relationship, money was sent, gifts were given and a car was promised to Wiktoria Bujko.
“Friends and relatives had taken Wiktoria out for dinner and provided her with drugs.”
The judge also spoke about the horror murder.
He said: ‘You chose to kill him outside his home so that members of his own family would be the first to find him outside on the pavement.
“He considered you, Ali, a friend. You taught him to come out and please you. 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 has 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. No one deserves to be subjected to such brutality and the three people convicted today will undoubtedly spend a significant amount of time in prison. Our streets are safer without these people in general.
“I would like to pay tribute to Iron’s family, who have been extremely supportive of the investigation despite a long road to justice, whilst living with the trauma of losing their loved one.”
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