Lutfur Rahman: Police poised to re-open inquiry after election scandal

May 2, 2015

Police are re-investigating the electoral fraud scandal surrounding Lutfur Rahman, the former mayor of Tower Hamlets in London, after four new allegations came to light in an official report.?

Scotland Yard confirmed last week’s High Court electoral fraud judgment into Rahman, Britain’s first elected Muslim mayor, contained new material which had not been previously reported to them.

It means the inquiry into Rahman and potential collaborators? could now be formally re-opened, bringing into question the Metropolitan Police’s decision to previously shut down the investigation.

The remaining four matters will be examined to see whether a full criminal investigation should be launched, said a Metropolitan Police spokesman.

Scotland Yard has come under repeated criticism for failing to seriously investigate allegations of electoral corruption in Tower Hamlets, which has a population of about 250,000 and an ethnic majority.

A police spokesman said the force had been granted extra time under the Act which governs election law to look into the allegations.

“Due to the exceptional circumstances of this case, the special inquiry team has applied for, and been granted, an extension to the time limit for criminal proceedings to be brought under the Representation of the People Act,” he said.

The Met spokesman said the force originally received 164 complaints of electoral malpractice in Tower Hamlets in relation to the mayoral election on May 22 last year. It said: “As part of the original investigation we supplied early material to the CPS in connection with four allegations. Two people were cautioned by the Met and there is one criminal trial outstanding.”

Police had consulted with the Crown Prosecution Service before deciding to close its original investigation, it added. A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said the force was unable to confirm the identity of any people who may be involved in the new allegations.

And while they are at it they can look again at the complaints made about Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham, Newham and Redbridge.