Tower Hamlets councillor arrested

An independent Tower Hamlets councillor, Shelina Aktar, who is a key supporter of Mayor Luftur Rahman, has been arrested and questioned by police investigating fraud offences, it was disclosed yesterday.

A Metropolitan police spokesperson said two people had been arrested over allegations of fraud, on the 9th and 10th November, and released on bail to return to a police station on 7th December.

Tower Hamlets council issued a statement confirming that Cllr Aktar was one of those arrested and stressing that she was still a member of the authority.

The journalist Andrew Gilligan, who has been an outspoken critic of Mayor Rahman, broke the news of Cllr Aktar’s arrest on his Telegraph blog.

Cllr Aktar has represented Labour for the Spitalfields and Banglatown ward since May this year. In October she and seven other Labour councillors were expelled by the party for supporting Lutfur Rahman in his successful bid to become mayor. She is now an independent councillor but was not included in Mayor Rahman’s cabinet, which he announced last week. She was not available for comment today.

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