Labour council linked to skyscraper bribery claims

LABOUR has said it is “committed to fighting corruption” after it emerged police had received bribery allegations linked to a councillor in east London.

The National Crime Agency has been passed information from Tower Hamlets council said to relate to alleged corruption in obtaining planning permission for a skyscraper development in Canary Wharf, according to The Sunday Times.

After the publication of the claims, a Labour spokesman said: “Corruption steals from the many to line the pockets of the few. Labour is committed to fighting corruption in all its forms.

“It would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of this case as it is now a police matter.”

A spokesman for Tower Hamlets council said: “Our planning process was not compromised in any way by the Alpha Square planning application.

“It was rejected by our strategic development committee in February 2016 with six councillors voting to reject it and two abstaining. Council officers recommended it for refusal. When the council was made aware of these allegations, we brought in an independent external investigator to gather evidence. Their findings were then assessed by a leading QC, who recommended that we report the matter to the Serious Fraud Office [SFO].

“We did this and the SFO then passed

‘Our planning process was not compromised in any way by the Alpha Square planning application’

it onto the National Crime Agency for investigation. We are waiting to hear the outcome.

“We received strong advice from legal counsel not to take any further steps to investigate the matter as to do so could risk prejudicing a police investigation. This remains the position.”

John Biggs, the mayor of Tower Hamlets, said since he was elected he had “worked tirelessly to combat corruption and wrongdoing”.