Woman cleared of judge blackmail

Roselane Driza was employed by two judges illegally

A cleaner has been cleared of stealing two sex videos from a male judge and blackmailing a female judge.

Roselane Driza, 37, was jailed for 33 months in October 2006 after being convicted of blackmail and theft.

She later won an appeal against her convictions and was told she faced a retrial due to begin next month.

But at a pre-trial hearing the Crown Prosecution Service said it has decided not to proceed with the case as the two judges were too ill to give evidence.

Brazilian Miss Driza, of South Norwood, south London, was sentenced last October for stealing videos from her lover, Judge Mohammed Ilyas Khan, and for blackmailing a female judge, known as Judge J, for £20,000.

But on appeal she was cleared of blackmailing 61-year-old Judge Khan, with whom she had an affair and had been living with until her arrest.

Justice has been done Roselane Driza

The exact grounds for appeal cannot be reported except that it was on the basis of new evidence.

Both judges had been employing Driza illegally.

The Office for Judicial Complaints, which has been investigating the behaviour of the two immigration judges, said the dropping of the charges would prompt a review of the case.

After Friday's hearing at the old Bailey, Miss Driza said outside court: "Justice has been done. I am very happy and very proud of God."

Visa application

She added she is no longer a cleaner and has been unemployed for two years while her visa application is considered by the home office.

Her counsel, Frances Oldham QC told the court: "Miss Driza has been vilified by the Crown as a blackmailer.

"She has never accepted that she is anything other than innocent of these matters."

He said both prosecution witnesses, J and Judge Khan, have been ill and there is no prospect of them taking the stand "at a trial in August or possibly ever".

Judge Martin Stephens said the order banning identification of the woman Judge J must remain despite Miss Driza's counsel asking for it to be lifted.