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Police probe Bertha scandal
A DISGRACED politician who has been suspended for using sponsorship money on ball gowns is under investigation by the police.
Bertha Joseph, who was the Conservative councillor for Kensal ward, could be hauled before the courts if it is ruled she acted criminally by spending £900 in charity funds to buy herself the fancy frocks.
Ms Joseph, who vehemently denied any wrong doing, made an unsuccessful bid to appeal her sentence last month so is currently banned from carrying out any duties as a councillor until August.
She was also ordered to pay back the money.
The two-time mayor of Brent, who was the first ever black person to take the role in the borough, is being probed by cops after Cllr Ann John lodged a complaint with Chief Supt Indent Mark Toland, Brent Police's Borough Commander.
Cllr John told the Times she acted after receiving a string of complaints from angry residents.
She said: "A lot of people in the Kensal Green ward have said if they did something like that they would be prosecuted so why hasn't Bertha?"
Despite her ban, Ms Joseph has held on to her position as deputy chairwoman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), which decides the strategy, policy and the budget of the London Fire Brigade, much to the disgust of union bosses and political opponents.
Ian Leahair, London regional executive of the Fire Brigade Union (FBU), said it was case of 'double standards' and they were considering taking legal action to have her removed.
He added: "She is not allowed to serve in her own ward so it seems perverse to allow her to sit on an authority where she makes important financial decisions.
"We have already put in a complaint to the monitoring officer but we have not heard anything back yet."
Cllr John said she believed the decision to keep Ms Joseph on the LFEPA board could be political.
She said: "If she is removed the Tories lose control. It's all really shameful."
Despite being suspended from her councillor role, Ms Joseph still takes home a basic annual allowance of £7,662 and she pockets an additional £12,042 for her role with the LFEPA.
Figures show between January 2009 to January this year she claimed almost £300 in travel expenses including £85 for cab journeys in just ONE day.
Ms Joseph is no stranger to controversy following an expose by the Times in which we revealed she had worn her mayoral chains during an unofficial visit to the Sony World Music Event as a Labour Mayor in 2006.
The Times also discovered she had received £70 of gifts from Kingsbury Printers and in December 2006 she was given £25 of gifts from Ikea but neither appeared on Brent Council's gifts and hospitality register.
Ms Joseph claims she had forgotten to register the gifts and she was a victim of a political attack following her controversial defection to the Tories from the Labour Party in September 2007.
A spokeswoman for Brent Police confirmed an allegation had been made about Ms Joseph.
She added: "It has been passed to a senior police officer who is looking into it."
Ms Joseph failed to return calls from the Times.
A spokeswoman for the Mayor of London said: "All the legal advice received by LFEPA clearly showed that there was nothing to prevent Bertha Joseph from serving on the LFEPA board.
"The Mayor has the option to exercise discretionary powers to remove a member of the LFEPA board. He is currently considering whether or not there is a case to exercise these powers."
lorraine.king@archant.co.uk
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Wembley & Kingsbury
Chronicle News |
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