Ex-lord mayor Naveeda Ikram cleared in public office misconduct case

LONDON: A former councillor of Bradford was exonerated on Wednesday by the Court of Appeal in a case of alleged misconduct in the public office.

Naveeda Ikram, 43, ex-lord mayor of Bradford and a leading figure in the UK's British-Pakistani community, had faced allegations that she had lobbied council officials to win contracts for a company run by her friend.

According to the original allegations by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), she was said to have "a financial interest" in the success off Nexus Assist Ltd, which helped young people leaving care in Bradford.

Prosecutors alleged that she provided "financial support" to Ali Arshad, the company's owner, and even guaranteeing his tenancy on a property in North Park Road.

Ikram was further accused of "lobbying for paid work" on behalf of Nexus and "promoting" the company to officials without declaring a financial interest.

Ikram has denied any wrong-doing and mounted a fierce defence campaign to clear her name.

She maintained that she had never sought contracts for Nexus, had no financial interest in the company, and "did not abuse the public's trust in her."

The case against her was thrown out at the Leeds Crown Court by Judge Geoffrey Marson QC at the end of last year, with the judge saying she had "no case to answer". Prosecutors then challenged the decision and took the case to the Court of Appeal in London.

After listening to both the sides, Lord Justice Colman Treacy said there was "no sustainable evidence" that Ikram had sought council contracts on behalf of Nexus and that Judge Marson was justified in having described the evidence against Ms Ikram as "wholly insufficient".

Justice Treacy added: "The evidence had simply not reached the sort of level which would constitute a financial interest which should have been declared."

He said there had been "insufficiently rigorous analysis" by prosecutors of what the evidence was actually capable of proving. Clearing Naveeda Ikram of any wrongdoing, he stated that Judge Marson's decision to terminate Ms Ikram's prosecution was confirmed.

In a statement released to Geo News, Philip Goldberg of Minton Morrill Solicitors, who acted on behalf of Ikram, explained that since her arrest on March 3, 2016, Ikram has maintained her innocence and denied any conduct that would amount to misconduct in public office — a position which has now been vindicated by her acquittal.

Goldberg noted that at Ikram's trial, back in 2017, the prosecution did not even reach halfway when the judge withdrew the case from the jury owing to insufficient evidence; however, the prosecution had appealed it.

“Having taken time to consider it’s decision, the Court of Appeal has rejected the prosecution’s argument that the judge had acted unreasonably in reaching the conclusions he did, accepting the arguments put forward by the defence.

"The effect of this is that the judge’s conclusion that the defendant should be acquitted on the basis that there was insufficient evidence to justify a conviction stands, and Mrs Ikram has been found not guilty.

"Since 2004 Mrs Ikram has tirelessly represented, as Councillor, the ward of Little Horton in Bradford. That dedication was rewarded in 2011 when she was appointed as the first female British Muslim Lord Mayor which remains the highlight of her public life to date,” said the solicitor.

It is understood that Ikram wants to get justice from the Labour party after her vindication from the courts.