He added: "A quarter of a century on the frontline of politics is tough. A Liverpool Echo poll of thousands of their readers found that 69% intended to change their vote in the impending council and mayoral elections. City supporters are used to such scrutiny of course. "That should be of concern to football supporters as well as human rights organisations. The allegations against Mr Burke were brought to light by a town hall whistleblower. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Terry Burke, Manchester town halls head of corporate technical services, was suspended on full pay in August 2012. Mubarak is the chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, a strategic government body responsible for advising on Abu Dhabi's international image. Deputy Head of Audit & Risk Management. Sign up to the MySalford newsletter to keep up with what's happening in and around the city. 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. This decision is subject to an ongoing appeal.. 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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. 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. 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. Manchester City Council has a zero tolerance approach to fraud and illegal activity. MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL DRAFT Anti-Fraud and Corruption Procedures Contents Page 1 Introduction X 2 Definition X i. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Nelson's 97th-minute stunner gives Arsenal victory, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. For a city that remains fiercely anti-Tory, there was barely a ripple of opposition to the intervention by Boris Johnsons government. Glittering drama based on the audacious Brinks-Mat security depot heist, A corrupt copper and a Leeds gangster are bound together by decades of dishonesty. It made me cry when I read the report, said Jayne Casey, one of the citys most influential cultural figures. Kavanagh, his former regeneration chief, has said he had always acted within the rules and would defend his innocence. %PDF-1.4 Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said his Labour colleague was "an inspiration" who had "shown incredible leadership" and always "put Manchester first". Former Councilman Mitchell Englander, who represented the West Valley, went to prison for obstructing a corruption probe. The city has improved since the 80s but were slipping back. Three former officials at the Manchester Municipal Corporation and two of their co-accused have been convicted for their roles in a fraud scheme that fleeced the local government authority approximately $400 million. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? The police are also investigating after the case was referred to them by council chiefs. But internal critics began to find more of a voice two years ago, against a background of the Arab spring, conservative Muslim campaigns and democracy movements in other countries, allied to widespread use of the internet. It is also aware of the hypocrisy that exists in football, mindful of the fact that Real Madrid was, one of seven Spanish clubs ordered to repay tens of millions of euros of state aid. But football surrendered the moral high ground a long time ago, and many observers therefore have become jaded as a result. 65,550 - 70,785 per annum. Although the focus has centred on the intervention of Whitehall commissioners, one of the most politically significant elements of the governments proposal has been overlooked: within two years, only one councillor will represent each of the citys 30 wards. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The allegations were brought to light by a town hall whistleblower. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Whereas Manchester became the world's first industrial city in the 1800s, Abu Dhabi did not have a paved road until 1961, when its deep reserves of oil began to be exploited. At the first court hearing on 4 March 2013 in Abu Dhabi, Amnesty and HRW reported that several defendants told the judge they had been "seriously ill-treated during months in detention". This is not to say that we should not care of course, or that the media should stop asking tough questions. LONDON (AP) - Manchester City is now a tainted champion. A building firm is helping with a council corruption probe following the suspension of a town hall boss. Something went wrong, please try again later. La Liga are leading the calls for a fresh investigation into City's finances, threatening to lodge a complaint with the EU competition authorities. In 1999, after 14 years on the Dallas City Council, Lipscomb was indicted and convicted on 65 counts of bribery, including . Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Federal investigators have implicated much of Detroit's city hall in a corruption probe involving council members and their staffs. There is almost a personification of the values we hold as Abu Dhabi, with the values of the club and the values we would like to stick to. In an interview with the Manchester Evening News, Sir Richard said he wanted to spend more time with his grandchildren, adding: "I don't want to do 60-hour weeks and 12-hour days.". Visit our website at www.manchester.gov.uk Others however, insist that if clubs sign up to play in Uefa's tournaments, then they should abide by the rules, and that a failure to do so damages the fundamental sense of fair play on which sport is meant to depend. In huge whiteletters on a sky blue background, it says: "MANCHESTER THANKS YOU, SHEIKH MANSOUR. Quite the opposite. Meanwhile, in handing down her judgement, Judge Grainger found Elliot guilty of 17 of the 25 counts brought by the Crown. It is understood he was dismissed on September 12 for gross misconduct after a number of serious disciplinary matters came to light during the investigation. achieving an annual profit in each of the past four years of accounts, developing a respected youth system, and regenerating parts of east Manchester. Sir Richard was involved in the consequent transformation of the city, which had already been selected to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Ann Marie Grainger, Parish Judge, speaking today while delivering the verdict via live audio stream. A look back at highlights from two Dallas City Council corruption cases. The Emirati population, which numbers around one million, are still considered by commentators to be largely content, particularly given the country's stability in a Middle East in turmoil and civil war elsewhere. 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They are thought to include the 14m Bow Street construction scheme in Moss Side and a 6m Building Schools for the Future project at Southern Cross primary school in Chorlton. The Presiding Parish Judge says in relation to Sibblies, evidence led by the Crown showed that he conspired with Elliot in the fraud scheme. The owner has still been to only one match in five years, instead watching his team's ascent on television, but the City supporters long ago made clear their feelings about the Abu Dhabi ownership. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. That does not suggest a governing body that is too bothered about getting tough. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. English football has been warned it has allowed one of its major clubs to be exploited as a "branding vehicle" by an international regime accused of human rights abuses after a trial in Abu Dhabi, a country ruled by Manchester City's owner and his brothers, was widely denounced as repressive, involving torture, and "fundamentally unfair". Uefa is now under mounting pressure to act again and demonstrate that such apparent disregard for its rules cannot be tolerated. No-one was killed in the explosion although many people were injured. 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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 . 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. The. 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. The investigation centres on whether or not Mr Burke, from Worsley, Salford, profited from deals done by the council. Test yourself with these 12 questions, Do you know your local leaders from your Manchester suburbs? 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. Six of the 94 detainees finally appeared before a judge in Abu Dhabi on 6 September 2012 and were reported by HRW and Amnesty to have appeared "dishevelled, disoriented and distressed". As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Given their cultural influence and importance to their communities, it is absolutely right that big clubs like City are held to account. Man United were heavily linked with a move for Dutch attacker Cody Gakpo prior to his move to Liverpool in January. Town Hall Extension, Albert Square, Manchester, M60 2LA. Remember that as far back as 2014, Uefa had concerns over the value of City's shirt and stadium sponsorship with airline Etihad, and deals from image rights and intellectual property. What Der Spiegel's revelations claim to have shown for the first time however is how it was done, and the extent of the alleged deception. She was also recognised as the Reporter/Presenter of the Year by her news entity. Analysis: Political fallout could cost Labour the citys mayoralty and votes in Mays local elections, It was a devastating indictment of one of Britains most powerful councils: a rotten culture of dubious contracts and backroom bullying, where staff were silenced and official records dumped in skips. Mansour is the Abu Dhabi deputy prime minister, responsible for the country's judges, and sits on the board of key investment funds. 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. 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. Whether it is top clubs jostling for a bigger share of TV money, La Liga staging matches overseas, a proposed new Saudi-backed club World Cup, or the threat of a breakaway European Super League, or City apparently flouting FFP, the rules and the established order, seems to be under threat. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. 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.". 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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? An internal auditing process then picked up irregularities. 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. The 94 were tried on charges of plotting to overthrow the UAE government, which remains adamant this was proven against the 69 convicted. The authorities argue there is no connection between that case of the "UAE5", and the arrests and prosecution of the "UAE 94" that followed last year. Test yourself with these 12 questions, Do you know your local leaders from your Manchester suburbs? 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. She will take over from Sir Richard Leese, who is standing down after 25 . 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. Global Edition. In this meeting, of a desperate UK economy with Abu Dhabi's fortunes, there is a limit to the UK government's disapproval over allegations of torture and flaws in the UAE legal system. "It has been an enormous privilege to serve the people of Manchester over this period of time and my heartfelt thanks goes to the thousands of people who have worked with us over the last 25 years.". The Premier League rejected that proposal but says it does ask the government about owners and will have been told that the UAE is a trusted ally. 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. ", 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 council spokesman said: We are carrying out an internal investigation into allegations made about a council officer. No arrests have been made. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. 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. Welcome to our Facebook page. The 48-year-old outlined he had concerns upon Casemiro's arrival but the Man United ace has since quelled his fears. into City's finances, threatening to lodge a complaint with the EU competition authorities. 2023 BBC. But I feel I must talk. A few weeks later, the city was targeted by a suicide bomber who killed 22 people at a concert in Manchester Arena. HMRC revealed that it was investigating the tax payments, reportedly agreed to accept a 16.4m fine and a suspended jail term, to settle tax evasion charges that he denies. Anderson, the former mayor, has denied the allegations against him and suggested this week that they were the result of jealousy. They continue to investigate the case and have interviewed him under caution. The state security apparatus can be very ugly, so people are really afraid to say anything.". But this is not a Tory takeover its a team of civil servants.. Sir Richard Leese, who will leave the post on 1 December, said the decision reflected his "personal priorities for the next few years". No. Many of the council's staff are based at Manchester Town Hall . HRW expressed concerns that the families of most of those arrested did not know where they were for months, and warned there is a close relationship between prisoners held incommunicado and mistreatment. Zayed distributed wealth to the wider population and, although democracy has always been outlawed, he famously talked of gradually introducing voting rights: "Moving towards a parliamentary, integrated and comprehensive system in a society liberated from fear.". 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. Federal corruption cases. Bribery and campaign finance violations are central to the claims. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Its city council is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. What Der Spiegel's revelations claim to have shown for the first time however is how it was done, and the extent of the alleged deception. Wednesday's indictment of Los Angeles City Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas makes him the third current or former L.A. councilmember to face . They argue that the super-capitalist development has been done without sufficient consultation and is a departure too far from traditional Muslim values, that the ruling family is notaccountable for how the country's money is spent, and that freedom is too limited. "All men are. And who can forget the 2015 corruption scandal that brought Fifa to its knees? We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. He pointed to "gradual" reforms including "limited" elections of the Federal National Council, a consultative body, of which half the members are selected by the regime, half elected by a minority of the Emirati population. This despite the club earning praise for the way it has invested 1.45bn of Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth since. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Elliot and his co-conspirators Harris and Roberts were also found guilty of an act of corruption. It is understood that questions have been raised over Mr Burke's dealings with subcontractors working on the projects which were both contracted to a firm called GB Building Solutions. A senior town hall manager has been suspended amid claims of corruption. Sibblies has also been found guilty of conspiracy to defraud. 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. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? The hearing to hand down a verdict in the 4-hundred million-dollar fraud scheme was streamed live today with Parish Judge, Ann Marie Grainger delivering the judgment. The seven accused were before the courts answering to 25 counts in total. Announcing his resignation, he said his "commitment to the city and the city region remains undiminished". You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. ", Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? "The mistreatment described in the letters is consistent with other allegations of torture at UAE state security facilities," the statement said, "and indicates that torture is a systematic practice at these facilities". 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 revelations are likely to anger the fans and owners of smaller teams from the likes of Eastern Europe that were excluded from Uefa competitions over other breaches. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These included the Manchester Arena bombing and being "side-by-side" lobbying the government over proposed coronavirus restrictions, he said. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The UAE authorities' response to the torture allegations, which were raised in court, is to argue that the alleged victims should have reported them to the police. Mansour is among the most powerful group in Abu Dhabi with the crown prince Sheikh Mohammed and their other "full" brothers by Sheikha Fatima, one of the six wives married to the former ruler, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan. Der Spiegel should be applauded for its brilliant and important journalism. On 2 July, at the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi, 69 of the 94 were found guilty of plotting to overthrow the regime. 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? An alliance of seven emirates made in 1971, the UAE's native Emirati people have generally been considered content with their stable and wealthy way of life. As they include middle-aged, educated people, they say it is ridiculous to accuse them of believing they could overthrow the regime, given the wealth,might and security apparatus of the UAE. Amnesty and HRW denounced the "mass trial of 94 government critics", arguing that the convictions were: "Based on a fundamentally unfair trial probably violated the right of free association was marred by the denial of legal assistance during pretrial incommunicado detention, and allegations of torture. 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.