The trial of ex-mayor Raja Akhtar and former city councillor Abdul Razaq entered its closing stages yesterday as Razaq’s defence team concluded its case.

The two men are accused of forging poll cards during the 2004 council elections, with prosecutors claiming they arranged for postal votes to be sent to addresses they knew to rig the ballot in their favour.

But defence barristers have argued the men were merely helping members of their own community, in the city’s largely Asian Central ward, to take part in the election.

Mohammed Latif, for Razaq, told the jury: “The prosecution have thrown the kitchen sink at this case. And not just the sink but the whole kitchen and bathroom as well.

“Have you heard of the expression throw enough mud and some of it will stick? That is exactly what the prosecution have done here.”

During the course of the trial, which began more than three weeks ago at King’s Lynn Crown Court, jurors heard Razaq’s handwriting was discovered on 39 applications for other people’s postal and proxy votes, while Akhtar’s was found on 25 such documents.

Razaq, however, only faces forgery charges relating to eight poll cards and Akhtar to four.

Because both men secured places on the city council at the 2004 election by hundreds of votes, Mr Latif told jurors the alleged forgery would have had little bearing on the result.

He said: “These eight votes had no impact on the actual election of Mr Razaq.

“So is a man with his background and his character going to lose his professional career, his reputation and his good name in the community for the sake of a handful of votes? You may think not.”

Akhtar (48), of Newark Avenue, Peterborough, and Razaq (52), of Alexandra Road, Millfield, are both accused of filling in “away addresses” on people’s poll cards having persuaded the voters to sign the documents beforehand.

The men deny all the charges against them.

Beginning his summing up yesterday, Judge Alasdair Darroch told the jury unless each voter explicitly authorised their card to go to another address, fraud would have been committed.

He added: “Even if the voter consented to allow another to deal with (their poll card), unless they specifically authorised where the documents were to be sent, the document is false.”

Judge Darroch is expected to finish summing up the case on Monday, when the jury will retire to consider their verdicts.