'Day of reckoning' date set for Sandwell Council's Mahboob Hussain
Allegations of misconduct and improper behaviour against Mahboob Hussain are set to be heard by Sandwell Council’s standards committee next month.
Councillor Hussain, who represents Oldbury for Labour, is due to face the authority’s disciplinary watchdog over three days in the week beginning September 11 to answer a number of alleged code of conduct breaches.
Sandwell Council leader Steve Eling confirmed the date had been set for the hearing, which he described as ‘the day of reckoning’ for Mr Hussain.
Allegations regarding land sales and quashed parking tickets were made against former council deputy leader Mr Hussain in the Wragge report, which was published in May last year.
Mr Eling said: “The date has now been confirmed which means we are finally coming up to the day of reckoning for Councillor Hussain.
“This has been a long time coming and is obviously welcomed by the council.”
Mr Hussain was initially due to appear before the committee in August 2016 and then in March 2017, but both hearings were cancelled following legal challenges.
In June he was ordered to pay £55,000 in legal costs after his argument that the council should not have published the Wragge report was thrown out by a High Court judge.
Mr Hussain argued that its publication had violated his family’s human rights, but Mr Justice Green ruled there was ‘a powerful public interest’ in a ‘thorough and fair’ investigation.
Mr Hussain, who has always denied any wrongdoing, is said to be considering seeking permission to appeal the ruling through the Court of Appeal. He is also due to face a Labour party disciplinary hearing next month.
In January, separate allegations of fraud and misconduct against him relating to a Compulsory Purchase Order scheme were referred to police.
Mr Hussain was unavailable for comment.
