Labour Councillor - Drugs and Money Laundering

Former Preston Council deputy leader Frank McGrath

Frank McGrath, 59, was convicted of nine counts of concealing criminal funds for Silvano Turchet, 55, who is currently serving 15 years for the importation of Class A drugs.

The ex-Labour councillor, of Belton Hill, Fulwood, laundered more than £300,000 for Turchet, Manchester Crown Court heard.

The money was used to purchase a house in Wrexham, bought for £116,000 in December 2004, a hangar where Turchet stored an aeroplane used to import drugs, and a £17,000 designer watch.

McGrath also transferred £154,000 to an Italian bank account, the court heard.

Turchet pleaded guilty to nine counts of transferring criminal property at the beginning of the trial.

Ian Cruxton, deputy director of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), said: ''Frank McGrath made a living on the back of serious organised crime, and anyone who abuses their professional position to prop up criminal activity as he did can expect us to come after them too.''

Andrew Penhale, of the Crown Prosecution Service's Organised Crime Division, said: ''The case illustrates our determination not only to prosecute those criminals engaged directly in organised crime, but also the soft under-belly - those apparently legitimate businesses that facilitate and support organised crime in the background.''

McGrath was remanded in custody for sentencing on March 3 for the crime, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

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Labour Councillor arrested for drugs

A WELL-KNOWN councillor and former leader in Sheffield's war on crime has been arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs.
Sheffield councillor Mazher Iqbal, a prominent member of the city council's Labour shadow cabinet, was one of two men arrested in the Handsworth area on suspicion of possessing a controlled drug.

He has been released on police bail while officers carry out further investigations.

As an advisor for community safety before his party lost control of the council last May, Coun Iqbal was responsible for formulating the council's approach to problems with drugs, violence and other crime.

The former chair of the Darnall forum, Coun Iqbal is a well-known figure in Darnall and Attercliffe, particularly among his ward's large Asian population.

He was first elected as a councillor in 2006 with 55 per cent of his ward's vote and is known as a hard-working campaigning councillor.

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: "Just before midnight on Friday, November 20, two Sheffield men in their 30s were arrested in the Handsworth area of Sheffield, on suspicion of possession of a controlled drug.

"Both males are currently on police bail pending further inquiries."

When he was approached by The Star Coun Iqbal declined to comment. Labour group leader Jan Wilson also refused to comment. A spokesman for Yorkshire and the Humber Labour Party said: "As a party we do not comment on ongoing police investigations.

He added: "We would expect any member to assist the police if called upon to do so."

Two years ago Coun Iqbal was one of five men mistakenly arrested on suspicion of robbery while leafleting for Labour MP Clive Betts.

Coun Iqbal said it was a case of mistaken identity, and the commander of South Yorkshire Police later publicly apologised.

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Conservative Councillor charged with rape

Huw Elystan Davies

A TEACHER appears before magistrates charged with rape and drugs offences.

Huw Elystan Davies, of Ewenny Road, Bridgend, also a town councillor in the area, had his case committed to Crown Court for trial.

The 37-year-old faces charges of rape, possessing cocaine and supplying cocaine at his home between November 16 and 17 last year.

He was released on conditional bail until his appearance at Cardiff Crown Court tomorrow.

Davies is head of Welsh at Brynteg Comprehensive School, Bridgend.

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Labour Rape and Drugs

Councillor arrested on rape claim

AN Oldham councillor has been arrested on suspicion of raping a 16-year-old girl.

Cllr Asaf Ali, who represents Labour in the Alexandra Ward, was arrested last Tuesday and has been released on police bail, until August 1, pending further inquiries.

Police acted after receiving allegations that the girl had been raped in Oldham, at about noon the day before – Monday, June 4.


Following his arrest Cllr Ali – a father of three – released a statement which said: "I am contesting the allegations made against me and will strongly protect my innocence.

"However, having discussed my situation with the leader of the (Labour) group and the chief whip, and bearing in mind that these matters are continuing to be investigated by the police, I have taken the voluntary decision to withdraw from the Labour group activities.

"I will continue to be available to represent all my constituents and deal with their casework as normal. However, I will additionally step back from my formal positions in the council as chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel and as a junior whip in the Labour group."

# THE 36-year-old councillor was arrested by police last year when a quantity of drugs was found in the wheelarch of his car. He was subsequently released without charge and claimed the drugs had been planted by someone who had a vendetta against him.

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Update - Charge dropped April 2008

Mum to Demand Councillor quits

Tags: Labour, rape, drugs

Lib Dem Murder - Well Nearly

Top councillor resigns amid murder probe

A prominent Scottish Liberal Democrat councillor has resigned after his home was searched and he was questioned in relation to a major murder investigation.

Raymond Hutcheon, 50, who at one time lived with a prostitute and was spoken to by police for kerb crawling, was a member of a Holyrood adult entertainment working group, as well as holding key posts on Aberdeen City Council.

He was also a member of Grampian Joint Police Board and Aberdeen City Council's standards and scrutiny committee, which has a remit to ensure "absolute probity".

Mr Hutcheon's house was searched on Monday in connection with the investigation into the death of 57-year-old Ronald Mair, whose body was found bound and gagged in a cupboard of his home in Kettlehills Crescent, Aberdeen, last month.

Mr Mair's lifestyle was linked to drugs and prostitution. Three people have since been charged with his murder. On Monday, Stephen Rankin, 32, of Darvel, Ayrshire, appeared in court on a murder charge and yesterday Derek Carswell, 40, of Dreghorn, by Irvine, and Jane McBurnie, 17, of Thetford, Norfolk, appeared on petition at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on murder and other charges.

Continued

Update

A FORMER councillor, who was a member of a Scottish government think tank looking into the sex industry, admitted that he used the services of prostitutes who also supplied him with crack cocaine, it was reported yesterday.

Raymond Hutcheon has been in the spotlight since it was revealed that he was connected to prostitutes who were supplied by murdered drug dealer Bob Mair.

The allegations first surfaced in March, when police investigating Mr Mair's murder searched the councillor's Aberdeen home, Corsehill Croft, for leads. Mr Hutcheon stepped down from his post as a councillor "for personal reasons" during the police inquiry.

Now, according to a Sunday newspaper, it has emerged that he confessed to his drug use and relationship with four prostitutes in police interviews with detectives investigating the murder.

Mr Hutcheon, who was a councillor for 20 years before stepping down earlier this year, was a member of Aberdeen Council's Standards and Scrutiny committee and sat on Grampian Joint Police Board and a sub-committee on drugs and alcohol.

In 2002 he was forced to stand down as a governor at Oakbank School in Aberdeen after it was revealed that he had a live-in relationship with a former prostitute, Vicky Sneddon.

According to the leaked transcripts reported yesterday he told officers that he had first had a relationship with another prostitute, Nicola Stewart, who had a heroin addiction. "On our initial meeting I secured her services as a prostitute," he said.

The affair lasted six months and he then met Ms Sneddon, who he claimed introduced him to crack cocaine.

In 2005 he picked up Kerry Stirton and told police: "Kerry was a crack abuser and sourced crack for her and me. I gave her money for crack every few days, about £50 to £100 per time."

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