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Trail of blunders that led to the downfall of a former mayor
AS a disgraced former mayor began a nine-month jail sentence today for trying to rig a local election the detective who caught him said it should never be allowed to happen again.
AS a disgraced former mayor began a nine-month jail sentence today for trying to rig a local election the detective who caught him said it should never be allowed to happen again.The man who followed a trail of evidence through a complex and sensitive case, that was to cost taxpayers almost 1 million, to unravel the deceit of Mohammed Choudhary, Peterborough's first Asian mayor, was commended by a judge yesterday for conducting a "thorough and impartial" investigation.
Today, Detective Inspector Ian Tandy said: "A custodial sentence acts as a deterrent and hopefully it will make people think twice. We don't want this to happen again in Peterborough.
"The cost was over-excessive, but I think the case was important for democracy."
Special Report: Local election vote riggers jailed
The full story: Three former city Labour party members found guilty of vote rigging have been jailed.
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As for Choudhary, his fall from grace is complete and he will have plenty of time in his cell to consider just how much being blinded by political ambition cost him when he was prepared to do anything to ensure his re-election to the city council in 2004.
While he once stood proudly wearing the chains of office, his reputation now lies in tatters. His shame was marked by the handcuffs around his wrists as he was led down to the cells at King's Lynn Crown Court yesterday, watched by 40 friends and family packed into the public gallery.
The 49-year-old, of Cobden Street, Peterborough, was also barred from standing for public office for five years and ordered to pay 20,000 towards his costs.
His two co-defendants in the dock stared ahead impassively as Judge Alan Hitching also sentenced them to prison terms.
Former Labour party official Tariq Mahmood, who was described as "the spider at the centre of the web", was jailed for 15 months and must pay 15,000 costs, while party candidate Maqbool Hussein, who the judge said was the "least politically sophisticated" of the three, was given three months. They will also be barred from holding public office for five years.
The court heard how the trio "hijacked" postal and proxy vote application forms in the run-up to the Central ward elections, and filled some of them in themselves.
The votes were sent to a number of "away" addresses, where the ballot papers would be filled in – without the knowledge of the people who should have had them.
However, despite their efforts, the Labour candidates were all beaten by Conservatives.
Their downfall came after a series of blunders came to light, including Choudhary Tippex-ing out details on an application form. The defendants faced a total of 34 counts and were eventually convicted of 22.
Mahmood was found guilty of 14 counts of forgery, while his co-defendants were found guilty of four counts each.
Mohammed Latif, representing Choudhary said: “It’s a great surprise to see a man like Mr Choudhary who has stood many years for honesty, integrity, and has worked hard for the well-being of the community and those who have been less fortunate than himself standing on the threshold of a custodial sentence.”
But despite his mitigation, and the judge echoing his lawyer’s surprise at how far a respected community figure had fallen, he was jailed.
Addressing Mahmood (40), of Clarence Road, Judge Hitching said: “You had a standing in the community and were well respected. People came to you for advice.
“You had access to documentation. You knew from lists where votes were going. There were 130 instances in all where your writing was on the applications.
“You were an important co-ordinator of a number of documents. But what you sought to do was to increase the votes of those you were agent for and encourage Labour candidates to get elected.”
He said the fact other votes he filled in went to rival parties was a “puzzling” aspect of the case and probably something they would never get to the bottom of.
He said whether it was “a cunning plan” was just an inference. Despite his defence saying jail would have “catastrophic” impact on his family, Mahmood was also handed a custodial term.
John Coffey QC for Hussein (52), of Ledbury Road, Netherton – who was standing in the election for the first time – said his culpability was of “the lowest order”.
The Judge agreed he played a lower level role, and he was given three months to reflect this.
In his summing up, Judge Hitching spoke about how when votes were cast in a polling booth, the opportunity to fake them was rare. But after postal and proxy votes were introduced, he said it made the system easier to manipulate.
He said: “Public service is, is as far as the community is concerned, rather like a fountain. It waters the integrity of individuals participating in it. When everything is proper, it refreshes, renews and revitalises.
“But if corruption comes in, the waters are tainted.”
Half of the bill for Operation Hooper – set up to probe electoral fraud in the central ward – came from this case. Three of the city’s Tory party candidates are due to stand trial for vote rigging later this year.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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