If they are authentic - (and Der Spiegel insist that their source - purportedly the founder of the Football Leaks whistleblower website - has assured them that he did not hack or steal the documents) - then many will inevitably conclude that they do not reflect well on the club, and raise serious questions over its integrity and its respect for the rules. It is made up of 96 councillors. "When a prospective takeover is from overseas we confirm that those involved are legally permitted to invest in this country," a Premier League spokesman said, "and, when appropriate, seek the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.". Amnesty and HRW said "local activists believe a forced confession from Suweidi forms the basis of the prosecution's case in the trial". Mansour is the Abu Dhabi deputy prime minister, responsible for the country's judges, and sits on the board of key investment funds. Mr Burnham said Greater Manchester was "immeasurably stronger" and Sir Richard had "been at the heart of that". So far the claims of financial malpractice fall into two broad categories; firstly, that sponsorship deals were artificially inflated and not valued fairly or independent (as City previously insisted), with tens of millions of pounds thought to have been paid by commercial partners, actually coming directly and discreetly from the club's owner. Sir Richard, a former teacher and youth worker, was elected to the city council in 1984. Seven Logan City Councillors and former mayor Luke Smith had all been charged by Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) with fraud relating to former council chief executive Sharon . Theyre toxic, even today. Anwar Gargash, the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, has rejected critics of the regime, arguing they do not give enough credit for the UAE's achievements, including the "secure and stable livelihood" the UAE enables its residents to have in a trouble-torn region. One of the most persistent, Ahmed Mansoor, was kept in jail for eight months before being sentenced to three years in prison for criticising the regime. GB Building Solutions has launched its own investigation after Manchester council suspended its head of corporate technical services, Terry Burke, following allegations that he profited from deals done by the council. Former Superintendent of Roads and Works at the Corporation, Sanjay Elliot, the mastermind behind the fraud scheme, his former employee Dwayne Sibblies, Acting CEO David Harris and Temporary Works Overseer Kendale Roberts have all been found guilty. ", Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, The family of Manchester City's owner Sheikh Mansour rule Abu Dhabi, the dominant state in the United Arab Emirates. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In 2009, some fans clubbed together to pay for a banner, draped ever since along the stand opposite the directors' box. Everybody will be lifted up if we all aim for equality: Hundreds line the streets in the city centre for Manchester's annual Walk for Women, The march is one of many taking place across the UK for International Women's Day, Emotional scenes at Etihad as Man City fans and Phil Foden pay tribute to tragic Milly-Rose, 6, who died suddenly, The emotional display happened during the sixth minute of Manchester City vs Newcastle, 'We ditched our corporate jobs for life on a narrowboat with our baby - we've never been happier', Despite earning a sixth of their previous income, Joanna and Victor Gould are loving the slower pace of life, We took Jay Rayner for lunch at one his favourite Manchester restaurants - heres what he had to say about the citys food, We sat down for lunch with the acclaimed food critic ahead of his show 'Jazz Up the 80s with the Jay Rayner Sextet' at Manchester's Albert Hall, 'School banned my business when I was 12. A building firm is helping with a council corruption probe following the suspension of a town hall boss. Only a minority of the UAE population has any kind of vote, the ruling families have been in charge for centuries, and in 2013 it remains a crime to criticise the rulers, belong to a trade union or form any organisation not licensed by the regime. Manchester City Council | Manchester - Facebook No arrests have been made. That is why the NIA boss is calling for other corruption cases like the Petrojam matter, to be brought swiftly before the courts. We have known since 2014, when City reluctantly accepted a settlement with Uefa that included a 49m fine (two-thirds of which was suspended and avoided) along with restrictions on their European. A club transformed by lavish investment in part to promote the emirate of Abu Dhabi on the world stage is damaged by deceptions in the. Gargash explained that the UAE regime does not believe in democracy, with political parties, arguing they descend into tribal division and sectarianism. Manchester City are under investigation for alleged financial fair play breaches The inquest began in 2018 when Football Leaks exposed alleged wrongdoings The hacker involved in the leak is. He has been suspended while a full investigation is carried out. Terry Burke, Manchester town halls head of corporate technical services, was suspended on full pay in August 2012. Sheikh Khalifa, Zayed's oldest son, one of Mansour's half-brothers by a different wife, is the UAE president, said to be ailing in health. Corruption 3 Anti-Fraud Culture and Key . Manchester suffered catastrophically in the 1980s from the collapse of its industry, with 150,000 jobs lost, particularly in the east of the city, which has never recovered. An engineer who studied at the University of Colorado and lived in the US for seven years, when Mansoor returned to his native UAE he found itslack of democracy and freedom of speech stifling. The City Council's constitution describes the four basic elements through which the council operates: the Council, the Executive, Overview and Scrutiny, and the Committees. He added: "A quarter of a century on the frontline of politics is tough. With their team the reigning Premier League champions, top of the league, and known for playing some of the best football that the English game has seen, most City supporters will refuse to allow allegations that their club deceived Uefa over financial fair play (FFP) rules to detract from pride in their club. In the meantime, anti-corruption activist and Executive Director of the National Integrity Action, NIA, Professor Trevor Munroe, is hailing the ruling. Global Edition. Sir Richard Leese: Manchester City Council boss to quit - BBC News Established in 2011 to prevent clubs spending more than they earned and getting into financial problems which might threaten their long-term survival, FFP originally limited clubs to losses of 26m over a three-year period. Many therefore, will be dismissing the current scrutiny - and the criticism it has sparked - as the latest manifestation of jealousy and hypocrisy, and some will no doubt have jeered the Champions League anthem even louder than usual in defiance. The state security apparatus can be very ugly, so people are really afraid to say anything.". This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The keenly watched hearing lasted over 4 hours today. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? The government has repeatedly acknowledged the criticisms, and says: "Sweeping reforms aimed at improving working conditions and worker rights reflect the UAE's commitment to treat all guest workers with dignity and respect.". No other individuals at Manchester council are thought to be under suspicion and nobody else has been brought in for questioning, it is understood. Test yourself with these 12 questions, Do you know your local leaders from your Manchester suburbs? Then, on Thursday, Alexander Sittenfeld became the third member of the City Council charged with corruption when he was arrested at home and charged with taking $40,000 in bribes while. In addition to Bokhari, Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt, Councilman James Mitchell, and Councilman Dimple Ajmera sat on the committee. Combine that fatigue with fans' tribalistic loyalty to their team, and it is easy to see why sport seems so able to withstand such controversies. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have vehemently protested against the mass arrest of 94 people, their alleged torture while in Abu Dhabi jails, a "fundamentally unfair" trial, and long prison sentences with no right of appeal handed down earlier this month to the 69 people convicted. A team of Whitehall commissioners has been sent to oversee large parts of the dysfunctional council for at least three years an unprecedented step for a city its size while Labour has ordered an investigation into what went wrong. "His oversight of the transformation of our city - in so many different ways - leaves a huge and powerful legacy that will be unmatched for a very, very long time. Quite the opposite. Its findings led Merseyside police to launch Operation Aloft, under which 11 people have been arrested over allegations ranging from fraud to witness intimidation. The official opposition is the Green Party with three councillors. %PDF-1.4 Federal corruption cases. They described prolonged solitary confinement, hooding, sleep deprivation and being subjected to extremes of temperatures. 5 Found Guilty In $400,000,000 Manchester Parish Council Fraud Trial I took it online and made 25k', Jasmine Shum turned to Instagram after she was banned from selling her creations in the playground, How well do you really know Greater Manchester? The two great Manchester football clubs emerged from this industrial tumult and social progress; United formed with the approval of employers at the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1878, City two years later by Anna Connell, vicar's daughter at St Mark's church, Gorton, part of an effort to provide some decent recreation in the toughest of neighbourhoods. The remaining three submitted theirs throughout Tuesday. "To the critics of the approach, we say that it enjoys the support of the majority of our citizens," Gargash said. "He has had one of the biggest impacts that any politician I can think of has made. Fernandinho, 30m from Shakhtar Donetsk, Jess Navas, 15m from Sevilla, Stevan Jovetic, 22m from Fiorentina and Alvaro Negredo, 20m, also from Sevilla, have been assembled to renew Sheikh Mansour's intentions for City to achieve Premier League and European success. Quoting Zayed's vision of a parliamentary system for "a society liberated from fear," the petition asked for greater democracy, by: "Electing all the members of the Federal Supreme Council by all citizens in the same manner that is approached in the democratic countries around the world." Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Amnesty and HRW have stated that they believe torture is "a systematic practice" in Abu Dhabi and UAE state security jails, and that complaints that these men were tortured, including to extract confessions, have not been investigated. ", Nicholas McGeehan, UAE researcher for HRW, describes the country in the light of the recent trial as increasingly "a black hole" for many basic human rights: "In this situation, a Premier League club is being used as a branding vehicle to promote and effectively launder the reputation of a country perpetrating serial human rights abuses," he said. A spokesman for GB Group, said: As soon as we were informed of Terry Burkes suspension, we offered to assist Manchester council with their investigation. 2:16. Three Florence City Council members submitted their resignation overnight amid a growing corruption scandal. That their club is being used as a form of 'soft-power', to improve the image of a repressive regime in the United Arab Emirates that continues to be accused of human rights abuses. Judge Grainger says based on inference, it was concluded that Mrs. Elliot knew the property and items she obtained were purchased with cash derived from the criminal conduct of her husband. A building firm is helping with a council corruption probe following the suspension of a town hall boss. Its city council is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. into City's finances, threatening to lodge a complaint with the EU competition authorities. Man United were heavily linked with a move for Dutch attacker Cody Gakpo prior to his move to Liverpool in January. stream He has never stood for office before, and is standing as an independent candidate, but even his rivals think he stands a good chance. has learned. Sir Richard was involved in the consequent transformation of the city, which had already been selected to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Elliots mother, Myrtle and a former bank teller, Radcliffe McLean are the other two defendants whove been set free. The games boosted the city's international profile and kick-started the transformation of East Manchester, involving the construction of the stadium which is now home to Manchester City FC. A senior town hall manager has been suspended amid claims of corruption. Football's complex balance of power, politics and money may be approaching a tipping point. Judge Grainger ruled today that Elliot, Harris and Roberts had all knowingly participated in the scheme. Yip, a former Labour member who left the party 20 years ago, said he had been shocked by the lack of contrition this week from some of those leading the council over the past five years: Has one of them had the decency to hold their hands up and say sorry? The fact that a new FFP system was adapted earlier this year, meaning clubs are now prevented from running a deficit of more than 90m/season purely on transfer spending, suggests an acceptance that the original rules were flawed. Such a shift in six weeks time would bring to an end Labours longest continuous period in power since the second world war. Last updated on 7 November 20187 November 2018.From the section Football. America's second-largest city was already mired in scandal and chaos. Whistleblowing - Manchester City Council Whistleblowing This form has a maximum of 4 pages Use this form to report any serious concerns you have about malpractice or wrongdoing in the. Forty-seven councillors got suspended over Militant we could lose 60.. Mr Burke refused to comment on the allegations. It is understood allegations were made involving multi-million pound building projects across the city. The people of Liverpool deserve better we might not like our politicians but we need to be able to trust them, he said on Friday. Let us not forget that in 2014, rather than make an example of City and ban them from Europe, Uefa instead struck a deal that saw one of the richest clubs in the world handed a fine of just 17m. Sheikh Mansour bought City in 2008, and has since spent around 1bn of the fortune he wields as a member of Abu Dhabi's ruling family, principally to buy and pay the multimillion-pound wages of footballers to make City successful. Joanne Roney is the chief executive. "It is a very difficult and ugly feeling when you cannot express yourself because you are in fear of being arrested. It does not store any personal data. CINCINNATI Just hours after a third member of Cincinnati City Council was arrested Thursday by federal agents on public corruption charges in a single year, Mayor John Cranley said it's time . The defendants, who include lawyers, teachers and academics, say this was a crackdown by an increasingly authoritarian state, after they voiced valid criticisms of the regime, calling for more democracy and freedom of speech. Amnesty said the treatment of the 94 in the United Arab Emirates, where Sheikh Mansour al-Nahyan's family, rulers of the richest emirate, Abu Dhabi, are dominant, "shows the authorities' determination to crush any form of dissent". In Manchester at the "Peterloo Massacre" of 1819, 11 people were killed and 600 injured by cavalry when attending a speech by Henry Hunt, a campaigner for adults to have the vote. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. La Liga's condemnation of City and PSG will therefore be viewed in that context. We along with others, have made clear our concerns about allegations of torture and mistreatment, and some aspects of the way the trial was conducted, such as lack of access to international observers, accusations that defendants could not access their lawyers, and the length of the sentencing.". The BBC has not been able to verify the leaked emails published by Der Spiegel, and City have refused to comment, beyond saying that the documents are "purportedly hacked or stolen" and an "organised attempt" to smear the club. Abu Dhabi accused of 'using Manchester City to launder image' Several were given severe sentences, including the lawyers Mohamed al-Roken and Mohamed al-Mansoori, both sent to prison for 10 years. She was also recognised as the Reporter/Presenter of the Year by her news entity. A few weeks later, the city was targeted by a suicide bomber who killed 22 people at a concert in Manchester Arena. ", On 17 July, Katherine Dine, a British government official, wrote to Rori Donaghy, campaign manager at the UK-based Emirates Centre for Human Rights, which is pressing the case of the convicted. Qx=-PDVYxVN0oeBuUL1+rbM_a[e,X~t" "\${ +3]fcuszvyuMLLoRhh~19vjsum]J2o, u@#@;UN [~k@FX5x-C1?$[z}bEommQQ0*zaV0,Q?g2QXnB2 ~sr)g-xV0, VO8]pj$nCfRb3._gxY{Z13qr[Fahy&HwH$|`|PTz^79hQ Mubarak has always emphasised that City is a private business acquisition by Sheikh Mansour, with Mubarak charged to make it profitable, worth more than the 1bn spent, in 10 years. Man City: How damaging are the Football Leaks allegations? Littleborough community choir, Chorley Old Road closed after car crashes into electrical box, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. Los Angeles staggers under cascade of scandals - POLITICO Former Councilmen Jose Huizar and Mark Ridley-Thomas face criminal charges for racketeering and bribery, respectively. A massive fraud scheme spanning some three years at the Manchester Municipal Corporation has this afternoon resulted in the conviction of 5 persons including former local government officials. Please don't include any personal or financial information, for example your National Insurance or credit card numbers. In December, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute issued a statement saying it was "deeply concerned by the worsening situation for human rights lawyers in the UAE." A council chief has been sacked following an investigation into alleged corruption. The 94 were tried on charges of plotting to overthrow the UAE government, which remains adamant this was proven against the 69 convicted. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. In July two lawyers who had defended Ahmed Mansoor in the "UAE 5" trial, Dr Mohamed al-Mansoori and Dr Mohamed al-Roken, were arrested. When David Silva, Sergio Agero and Yaya Tour weave their patterns in the Etihad Stadium, the hoardings around the pitch beam "Visit Abu Dhabi, Travellers Welcome" to the 200 countries where Premier League football is viewed a great global advert. Mr Burke, from Worsley, Salford, was suspended from his post at the start of July. HRW argues that is not matched by the reality and points to continuing reports of construction workers being deported after going on strike over low pay and dreadful working conditions on projects in the UAE. Beth Abbit, editor of the M.E.N's Mancunian Way newsletter, puts readers to the test, Tragedy as woman, 31, dies on way home from work as nightclub shot girl, Kelsey Stuttard, from Cheadle, suffered catastrophic injuries in the 3am smash, 'Hold my hands up' - Graeme Souness admits he got it wrong about Manchester United star Lisandro Martinez, The Argentinian was picked apart following defeat at Brentford but has since been a revelation in red, 'I witnessed my first murder aged 11 and I was stabbed and left for dead - now I fight gang culture', Mark, from Moss Side, became a victim himself after leaving prison for armed robbery. Read about our approach to external linking. He was deputed from his duties for Sheikh Mohammed to run City shortly after Mansour bought the club, to shape a more dignified direction after the initial frenzy of media coverage which was all about money and considered detrimental by the Abu Dhabi establishment. Hatton has not commented on his arrest. This Anti Fraud and Corruption policy describes our overall approach to . It is unlikely that many of the Manchester City fans who attended the club's match against Shakhtar Donetsk will have been too concerned about a third day of revelations and leaked emails published by German news magazine Der Spiegel. PROBE INTO DEALS: Terry Burke has been suspended from his post at Manchester council. No one else employed by the council is currently believed to be involved. Anderson, the former mayor, has denied the allegations against him and suggested this week that they were the result of jealousy. The Premier League club, though, have unquestionably become the most prominent global projection of Abu Dhabi itself, sponsored by four state-owned companies: the airline Etihad, the telecommunications company Etisalat, the investment company Aabar and the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. achieving an annual profit in each of the past four years of accounts, developing a respected youth system, and regenerating parts of east Manchester. last month, the accusations which have also been referred to police are understood to involve multi-million pound building projects contracted to the GB Group by the council. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said his Labour colleague was "an inspiration" who had "shown incredible leadership" and always "put Manchester first". PDF Manchester City Council Report for Information The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". There is absolutely no suggestion that GB Building Solutions are complicit in any way. But given the new claims and details, most of which Uefa are unlikely to have been aware of originally, doing nothing will make it look weak, especially when City always maintained they had acted within the regulations. Some have suggested that City's apparent attempts to circumvent FFP are nothing more than a canny and understandable exploitation of various loopholes in the rules, and should be viewed with some sympathy, given the controversy surrounding FFP. The corporation was previously called the Manchester Parish Council. His wife, Tasha-Gaye Golbourne Elliot was found guilty of two counts. Sign up to the MySalford newsletter to keep up with what's happening in and around the city. The UAE authorities have maintained there was due process and a fair trial. It is believed questions were raised over Mr Burkes dealings with subcontractors. 3 Indictments In 2 Years For Current Or Former LA City - LAist This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The police investigation into the case is still ongoing. In 1999, after 14 years on the Dallas City Council, Lipscomb was indicted and convicted on 65 counts of bribery, including . More seats on LA City Council won't reduce corruption, says former Nobody has been suspended as a result. At the 4 March hearing, Suweidi had reportedly told the judges: "I know that what I'm going to say may cost my life but I deny the charges and I ask the court to protect my life and the life of my family.". Test yourself with these 12 questions, Do you know your local leaders from your Manchester suburbs? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The allegations were brought to light by a town hall whistleblower. GB Building Solutions assists in Manchester city council corruption Fraud ii. Back then, Labour managed to hold on to its control of the council partly by expelling Militant members but today the public mood seems more perilous. He and I have been there together at difficult moments.". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". An officer has been suspended while we carry out our investigation. The 48-year-old outlined he had concerns upon Casemiro's arrival but the Man United ace has since quelled his fears. in 2016 after the European Commission ruled that preferential loans to the clubs and deals on tax and property constituted illegal government help. She also examined the credibility of four of the Crowns witnesses and accepted them as being credible. The investigation centres on whether or not Mr Burke, from Worsley, Salford, profited from deals done by the council. A council chief has been sacked following an investigation into alleged corruption. In March 2011, five Emiratis posted a petition addressed to Sheikh Khalifa, the UAE president.
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