Police investigate ballot fraud allegations

Police investigate ballot fraud allegations
Staff and agencies
Wednesday April 27, 2005

Police have launched an investigation into a Bradford Conservative councillor at the centre of postal vote fraud allegations, it has emerged.

The Conservative party also confirmed that Jamshed Khan, a councillor in the Labour-held marginal Bradford West parliamentary constituency, has resigned his party whip.

Concerns were raised after the Times newspaper discovered that 13 people from Mr Khan's address had registered for a postal vote.

A further 12 people were found to be registered to vote at a derelict house that Land Registry records show he co-owned until last year.

Mr Khan, insisted the claims were false, and said he would be "seeking legal advice" over the matter.

But West Yorkshire police yesterday said they had launched an investigation into the allegations, following initial scrutiny by council officials.

A Conservative spokesman also confirmed Mr Khan had resigned his whip.

Chief superintendent Simon Wilsher said: "We will be investigating this matter fully to determine if there are any criminal offences disclosed. Mr Khan insisted there were 13 adults living at his home when they registered to vote last year."

He said all the people living in the six-bedroom house had requested postal votes when they joined the electoral roll.

Mr Khan said one of the registered voters had since moved away, and three others were in the US and would return their postal votes unused.

He also claimed he allegations of fraud over the derelict property had "nothing to do with him" because he did not own the property.

He said: "I never owned that other house. There are so many Khans, I do not know what they are talking about."

Mr Khan said he would be consulting his lawyer over the matter, but that he would fully cooperate with any local authority inquiry.

The people he claims live with him in his house are his wife, three sons, two daughters, his aunt, his mother, his brother and sister-in-law.

Mr Khan yesterday refused to speak to reporters at his home in the West Bowling area of the city.

It was reported that Mr Khan also owned a terraced house in nearby Merton Road, where 12 people are registered to vote.

But neighbours said the house had not been lived in for more then eight months.

Simon Palmer, who lives next door to the house, said: "I've been living here since June and I know that during that time no one has been living there."

Mr Khan reportedly sold the property in December