Met under fire for ‘letting off’ mayor who rigged ballot

SCOTLAND Yard was yesterday under pressure to explain why it has let ‘off the hook’ a mayor who was booted out of office for rigging an election.

No criminal charges were ever brought against lutfur rahman, even though an election court found him guilty of fixing the ballot to become mayor of Tower Hamlets in east london.

Yesterday the Metropolitan Police was accused of ‘major failings’ by the chairman of the london Assembly’s police and crime committee. Steve O’Connell said that there was widespread concern that despite the findings against rahman, the Met had not brought charges.

He said: ‘During our investigation, we, as a committee, have been shocked to uncover major failings by the Metropolitan Police in its ability to investigate allegations of electoral fraud and malpractice.

‘Missed files of evidence; missed opportunities to gather witness statements;

‘This is not what we expect’

witnesses who were prepared to give evidence in the election Court but were unwilling to do so in criminal proceedings – this is not what we expect from a supposedly world-leading police force.’

Mr O’Connell called for an inquiry by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary. rahman, 51, who was Britain’s first elected Muslim mayor, was kicked out of office in 2015 after four ordinary voters defied threats and police apathy to expose him as an election cheat.

At an election court in 2015, electoral judge richard Mawrey QC likened officers who claimed there was ‘hushed calm’ at fraud-riven polling stations to the ‘three wise monkeys’, who saw, heard and spoke no evil.

He hailed the ‘exemplary courage’ of the four voters and declared rahman guilty of systematic ballot rigging.