Andrew Gilligan had the first report (the detail of which is unconfirmed). One of Lutfur Rahman’s councillors is in a spot of bother.
Here’s some confirmed detail. A statement from Tower Hamlets council names the councillor as Shelina Akhtar. She was elected as a member of the Labour party in May and represents Spitalfields and Banglatown.
The council says:
We can confirm that Councillor Shelina Akhtar is still a councillor for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The matter over which she has been arrested is being investigated by the police.
There is an ongoing police investigation and at this stage we have nothing further to add.
After she was elected, she wrote the following about herself on the Labour party website:
I have lived in Tower Hamlets for over 17 years, and as such have experienced the many diverse cultures it has to offer. I have attended and participated in festivals and events at the centre of the local community, and as a resident feel I can represent your concerns and views effectively at council. Also, by volunteering as a youth worker, supporting young people aged between 8-19 years from different cultures, backgrounds and ethnicities and working as an Enrichment and Youth Worker at Tower Hamlets College, I care deeply about the opportunities available to young people in our area. I believe that by supporting them and teaching them valuable skills, we can empower and educate them for the future. I have also worked for our community as Vice Chair of Spitalfields and BanglaTown, and have been involved in many local campaigns to improve parking in the ward, set up youth centres and create new playgrounds for the future.
More to follow…
UPDATE – 5.45pm
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police has just told me: “An allegation of fraud has been made and Tower Hamlets CID are currently investigating. Two people have been arrested. They have been bailed to return to an east London police station on December 7.”
He was unable to provide any more details until the officer dealing with the case is back in tomorrow.
For legal reasons, I’m going to pre-approve all comments on this post, so please be patient as I’m going to be at a function for the first part of this evening and will unable to press the right button.
(Photo courtesy of Dan McCurry.)
Trial by Jeory 