Names of Trojan Horse whistleblowers will be revealed to ‘ringleaders’ ‘Outrage’ as witnesses who blew lid on plot will be exposed
DOZENS of whistleblowers whose evidence helped expose the Islamic Trojan Horse plot in Birmingham schools have been told their identities will be revealed to the alleged ringleaders.
The shock decision to lift the anonymity of the staff and governors who gave evidence has been slammed as “appalling” and “outrageous” by city education chiefs.
The Department for Education has written to those who gave evidence telling them their identities and statements will be given to five alleged plotters facing disciplinary action before the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL).
It is thought that about 50 individuals made anonymous statements and many will still be living and working in the Birmingham area.
Many were hounded out of their jobs by Islamic hard-liners who wanted to instil an ‘intolerant and aggressive’ religious ethos in several inner city schools.
Razwan Faraz, Hardeep Saini, Arshad Hussain, Monzoor Hussain and Lindsey Clark are due to appear before the NCTL.
It is understood they have asked for the right to challenge the whistleblowers’ statements – and the Department for Education has agreed to supply them in full.
Birmingham’s Labour cabinet member for education Brigid Jones and the Conservative shadow cabinet member Matt Bennett have signed a joint letter demanding the government preserve the anonymity of witnesses.
Cllr Bennett (Edgbaston) said: “This is outrageous. These people gave evidence on the basis they would remain anonymous and now they face being revealed.”
Former police chief Peter Clarke, who led the Government’s Trojan Horse investigation in 2014, said he has been contacted by several whistleblowers and warned this could have implications investigations.
He said: “I am appalled that promises of confidentiality made in good faith with the full knowledge of government lawyers are seemingly now for future to be cast aside. Why would anyone come forward in similar circumstances in future if their trust is to be betrayed in this way?”
Cllr Jones said: “We’re extremely alarmed that the guarantees of anonymity given to the Clarke Report witnesses appear to no longer stand.
“Many of these witnesses only agreed to come forward under strong guarantees of confidentiality, and they and their families could be placed at significant personal risk should their identities and full testimonies be revealed.
“To have presented individuals who have already gone through extreme stress to give their evidence with this possibility just before Christmas is nothing short of astonishing.”
She added that the decision could prevent more whistleblowers coming forward to expose wrongdoing in future.
A whistleblower said: “This is a nightmare. I am deeply worried for my safety and there are wider implications. If this happens, no government will be able to act against a repetition of this plot because nobody will ever talk to them again.”
A Department for Education spokesman said they would not comment as this is part of an ongoing investigation.
This is outrageous. These people gave evidence on the basis they would remain anonymous Cllr Matt Bennett, above