Six jailed over election fraud

Six jailed over election fraud

Six men have been jailed for more than 13 years in total over election fraud in a council vote.

Police started investigating after reports Labour councillor Lydia Simmons lost her Slough Central ward seat to Tory Raja Khan following corrupt practices in May 2007.

Khan, along with two others, had previously admitted the offences. Three other men were convicted by a jury.

Reading Crown Court heard they created hundreds of false names in the weeks running up to the local election and entered them on the voter register.

It became Thames Valley Police's largest ever election fraud investigation ending with the men, all from Slough, sentenced at Reading Crown Court.

Raja Khan, 52, admitted conspiracy to defraud the returning officer and perjury and was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail.

Mohammed Basharat Khan, 46, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the returning officer and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. He was jailed for three years and four months.

Mahboob Khan, 46, was jailed for four-and-a-half years after he was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and perjury.

Arshad Mahmood Raja, 53, was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the returning officer. He was jailed for one-and-a-half years.

Altaf Khan, 31, was found guilty of personation and was sentenced to four months.

Gul Nawaz Khan, 57, pleaded guilty to perjury and was jailed for eight months.

I hope Jack Straw is taking note of this case. It is what the European Court of Human Rights stated in the Prisoners Votes Case is the only legitimate example where the vote can be removed from prisoners. Because the crime is linked to the electoral process.

This is the story Newsnight and Michael Crick failed to report.