YOU decide YOUR future

New Labour Councillour Hussain Akhtar who ‘pleaded poverty’ in court owns a £500,000 Victorian home, he was accused by a judge of ‘concocting a story’ to avoid hygiene charges at his food shop, has now been heavily criticised by councillors. In November, when he was fined £3,500 with £5,000 costs after admitting two breaches of hygiene regulations, the court was told. His solicitor told the court unwittingly: “As you will appreciate he is not a wealthy man. At the moment any money he has is generated from his overdraft.” But Land Registry documents show that in June 2003 the Shear Brow councillor and his wife Tahzeem paid £365,000 for the large semi-detached house in a sought-after location within a Conservation Area, with a mortgage from the National Westminster Bank. Coun Akhtar suspended himself from the Labour Party after the hygiene case but was re-admitted into the party’s ranks on Blackburn with Darwen Council.
http://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/latest/display.var.1250173.0.councillor_owns_500_00_house.php

A New Labour councillor has been charged with a string of sexual offences – but has vowed to remain in public life. Neil Redrup faces a court battle over allegations he set up spy cameras inside his home. Yesterday he was ordered to Gosport Police Station where officers charged him with four counts of voyeurism, one of indecent assault and one of gross indecency.
He refused to comment on the allegations, but revealed he would not quit. ‘Not yet, not until I’ve been convicted,’ he said. ‘I’m not giving any comment at all yet.’He will only be thrown off the council if he loses his seat and is sent to prison.
The MoD communications worker, from Alver Road, Gosport, was suspended from the Labour group immediately after his arrest.
http://www.portsmouthtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleID=2121331&SectionID=458

Shame this thread had to be hi-jacked, but its a democracy, free speech is the aim. PB, when ive evened things up, i promise to tell stories of BNP candidates.

Another story about the New Labour councillor Miranda Grell, who has said she totally refutes charges that she made false statements about the personal life of her gay opponent.
Miranda Grell, 28, won a formerly safe Lib Dem seat on Waltham Forest council in last May’s elections. Her opponent Barry Smith is now at the centre of a prosecution being brought against Ms Grell. She has been charged with “making a false statement of fact about Mr Smith’s personal character or conduct,” contrary to election law. Ms Grell is to appear at Waltham Forest Magistrates Court on Tuesday to answer charges under the Representation of the People Act 1983.
It is understood that the CPS have witnesses who claim Ms Grell made allegations about Mr Smith’s sexuality. The Evening Standard newspaper quotes sources who say it was wrongly alleged that Mr Smith is a paedophile.
Ms Grell, who works in City Hall as a researcher for London’s Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron, has a strong support base in the Labour party, and is viewed as a high-flyer.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-4126.html

Conservative councillor Jezz Baker has been arrested by police over allegations of corruption, it has been revealed. Jezz Baker, who is a member of the city’s planning committee, was arrested on Tuesday by detectives investigating a complaint by a member of the public. Mr Baker, of East Cosham, is the Conservative councillor for Hilsea. Police would only confirm that a 45-year-old man had been arrested by police investigating an allegation of corruption in public office.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/6589353.stm

LIBERAL Democrat councillor Sera Kentman has been expelled from the party and is at the centre of a police investigation. Cllr Sera Kentman, who has represented Whitefoot ward in Lewisham since last May, was axed after breaching rules, which included failing to disclose her debts as a councillor. Ms Kentman is an undischarged bankrupt, who may have stood illegally at last May’s elections. Under Section 80 of the Local Goverment Act 1972, no-one can stand in an election as a councillor if they are an undischarged bankrupt.
According to Lewisham Council’s Liberal Democrat leader Mark Morris other allegations involving Ms Kentman include:
A £9,000 overpayment of housing benefit on a house she part owns.
Outstanding council tax payments back dating over a year.
Her use of a number of different names. Ms Kentman was temporarily suspended three weeks ago from the party and given time to provide information on her debts and proof of her identity.
But on March 8, at the Civic Suite, Catford, she failed to provide the group with any evidence to clarify her status.
Mr Morris said: “We have given her time to come to meetings and provide us with information. She has not done anything. We have a rule book and she has breached it. We had no choice but to expel her from the group. She has been evasive to her own fellow councillors and is not fit to be a Liberal Democrat councillor or any other councillor of a political party.”
Insolvency practitioner Keith Stevens, who dealt with the case, confirmed a Julia Kibris, one of the other names used by Cllr Kentman, was made bankrupt in 2004 and is still an undischarged bankrupt. Usually when people declare themselves bankrupt they are automatically discharged from their debts after a year. But Mr Stevens has confirmed this one year rule does not apply to Cllr Kentman because she has failed to comply with the conditions of a court order made in April 2004.
The Individual Insolvency Register lists Sera Kentman and her alternative names, Julia Kibris, Hulya Kibris, Feliz Guner, and Hulya Guner. Mr Stevens confirmed that a photograph he saw of Julia Kibris was the same as the photo listed under the name of Sera Kentman on Lewisham Council’s website.
A council spokesman said: “We can confirm we referred Cllr Kentman to the Met Police some time ago.
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/lewgreennews/display.var.1258616.0.councillor_is_bankrupt.php

Worrying isnt it PB, who should we trust?