A club transformed by lavish investment in part to promote the emirate of Abu Dhabi on the world stage is damaged by deceptions in the. An internal audit picked up irregularities and an investigation was immediately launched. Its findings led Merseyside police to launch Operation Aloft, under which 11 people have been arrested over allegations ranging from fraud to witness intimidation. The political fallout, however, may only just have begun. 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? Hatton has not commented on his arrest. The Constitution is made up of seven parts: If you require any help or advice on the Constitution please contact us at committee.services@manchester.gov.uk. In an interview with the Guardian in 2009, Mubarak said of the running of City: "This is telling a lot to the world about how we are. Questions were raised over Mr Burkes dealings with subcontractors working for GB on the schemes, which are thought to include the 14m Bowes Street scheme in Moss Side. 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. Established in 2011 to prevent clubs spending more than they earned and getting into financial problems which might threaten their long-term survival, FFP originally limited clubs to losses of 26m over a three-year period. GB was not and still is not implicated in Terry Burkes suspension and we have worked with Manchester council to help with their enquiries and have responded in great detail to every question asked by their audit committee.. %PDF-1.4 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 made me cry when I read the report, said Jayne Casey, one of the citys most influential cultural figures. In July two lawyers who had defended Ahmed Mansoor in the "UAE 5" trial, Dr Mohamed al-Mansoori and Dr Mohamed al-Roken, were arrested. The seven accused were before the courts answering to 25 counts in total. But crucially, nor have they denied they are genuine. An internal auditing process carried out by the council then picked up irregularities. For a city that remains fiercely anti-Tory, there was barely a ripple of opposition to the intervention by Boris Johnsons government. Uefa are understood to be wary of the threat of a legal challenge by clubs with the resources of City and PSG, and reluctant to weaken their competitions by excluding some of the world's best players. 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. The City Council's constitution describes the four basic elements through which the council operates: the Council, the Executive, Overview and Scrutiny, and the Committees. The keenly watched hearing lasted over 4 hours today. Gargash explained that the UAE regime does not believe in democracy, with political parties, arguing they descend into tribal division and sectarianism. Manchester council has launched an investigation and called in the police after allegations were made against its head of corporate technical services, Terry Burke. A Liverpool Echo poll of thousands of their readers found that 69% intended to change their vote in the impending council and mayoral elections. Manchester City Council is facing a 153m budget shortfall over the next three years, councillors have heard. This is being done in line with the councils standard procedures. The accounts tallied with previous allegations of torture that HRW had reported in September, along with the alleged disappearance of one of the 94, Ahmed alSuweidi. The regime, whose army and security services are headed by Sheikh Mansour's brother, Sheikh Mohammed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, maintains the 69 were operating as a front for the Muslim Brotherhood, and seeking to impose a conservative Islamist state, including by military means. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Only last month HMRC revealed that it was investigating the tax payments of 171 players, 44 clubs and 31 agents. In London on 16 July, a fortnight after the 69 defendants were convicted in the UAE, the crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed, was in London, meeting Philip Hammond, the British defence secretary, to discuss "co-operation between the two countries pertaining to military and defence affairs." Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. On 2 July, at the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi, 69 of the 94 were found guilty of plotting to overthrow the regime. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have vehemently protested against the mass arrest of 94 people, their alleged torture while in Abu Dhabi jails, a "fundamentally unfair" trial, and long prison sentences with no right of appeal handed down earlier this month to the 69 people convicted. Last updated on 7 November 20187 November 2018.From the section Football. "Therefore anyone can resort to the public authorities to report assault, request protection, or claim compensation and ensure that any person committing any offence or felony is punished under law.". Former Councilmen Jose Huizar and Mark Ridley-Thomas face criminal charges for racketeering and bribery, respectively. He did not respond when contacted by the M.E.N but is said to be challenging the decision. But anyone expecting City to be kicked out of the Champions League is likely to be disappointed. In December, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute issued a statement saying it was "deeply concerned by the worsening situation for human rights lawyers in the UAE." The anti-corruption commission will scrutinise the officials for allegedly awarding contracts to various.. Australia One News Page: Thursday, 2 March 2023. It is led by Sir Richard Leese. last month, the accusations which have also been referred to police are understood to involve multi-million pound building projects contracted to the GB Group by the council. Report of: Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer / Head of Internal Audit and Risk Management Summary It is the role of the Audit Committee "to obtain assurance over the Council's corporate governance and risk management arrangements, the control environment and associated anti-fraud and anti-corruption arrangements". His wife, Tasha-Gaye Golbourne Elliot was found guilty of two counts. 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. 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.". Mansour is the Abu Dhabi deputy prime minister, responsible for the country's judges, and sits on the board of key investment funds. The UAE authorities argue it was not the petition itself that led to those posting it being arrested but the continued criticism with which they followed it up. There is absolutely no suggestion that GB Building Solutions are complicit in any way. Ann Marie Grainger, Parish Judge, speaking today while delivering the verdict via live audio stream. In March 2011, five Emiratis posted a petition addressed to Sheikh Khalifa, the UAE president. Trusted News Discovery Since 2008. 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. The human rights organisations called on the UAE authorities to provide independent medical examinations of the detainees who claimed to have been tortured, exclude from the proceedings any evidence obtained by torture, and carry out a prompt investigation. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "I lost my job, I have been beaten up twice, so I am paying a high price. If you think of the city in terms of the early to mid-90s and Manchester today - that's the difference Sir Richard Leese has led," he said. These included the Manchester Arena bombing and being "side-by-side" lobbying the government over proposed coronavirus restrictions, he said. Elliots mother, Myrtle and former Bank Teller, Radcliffe McLean were set free after it could not be proven that they hand any knowledge of the criminal enterprise. But given the new claims and details, most of which Uefa are unlikely to have been aware of originally, doing nothing will make it look weak, especially when City always maintained they had acted within the regulations. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. It is made up of 96 councillors. An internal auditing process then picked up irregularities. A senior town hall manager has been suspended amid claims of corruption. In Manchester at the "Peterloo Massacre" of 1819, 11 people were killed and 600 injured by cavalry when attending a speech by Henry Hunt, a campaigner for adults to have the vote. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Its heartbreaking to see what they did with that opportunity.. A mayor accused of a coverup. "I, with another person, initiated the petition, then I was subjected to a smear campaign, arrested for comments deemed to be insulting to the president, and put in jail," he said. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Football Leaks claims Euro Super League talks held by clubs, Man City: Uefa 'deceived' over FFP regulations, claims Der Spiegel, Man City and Paris St-Germain 'are cheating and should be punished', We have known since 2014, when City reluctantly accepted a settlement with Uefa that. Sign up to the MySalford newsletter to keep up with what's happening in and around the city. Immediately after his sentence Mansoor, along with the other petitioners, received a presidential pardon. The 94 were tried on charges of plotting to overthrow the UAE government, which remains adamant this was proven against the 69 convicted. Quite the opposite. A massive fraud scheme spanning some three years at the Manchester Municipal Corporation has this afternoon resulted in the conviction of 5 persons including former local government officials. They have grown accustomed to the suggestion that owner Sheikh Mansour's spending spree over the past 10 years has devalued their on-field achievements and enabled them to buy success. Manchester City Council has a zero tolerance approach to fraud and illegal activity. We have known since 2014, when City reluctantly accepted a settlement with Uefa that included a 49m fine (two-thirds of which was suspended and avoided) along with restrictions on their European. 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. The. Its city council is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Sheikh Mansour bought City in 2008, and has since spent around 1bn of the fortune he wields as a member of Abu Dhabi's ruling family, principally to buy and pay the multimillion-pound wages of footballers to make City successful. Quoting Zayed's vision of a parliamentary system for "a society liberated from fear," the petition asked for greater democracy, by: "Electing all the members of the Federal Supreme Council by all citizens in the same manner that is approached in the democratic countries around the world." A team of Whitehall commissioners has been sent to oversee large parts of the dysfunctional council for at least three years an unprecedented step for a city its size while Labour has ordered an investigation into what went wrong. PROBE INTO DEALS: Terry Burke has been suspended from his post at Manchester council. 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 . We could be completely cut out, said one source. He has never stood for office before, and is standing as an independent candidate, but even his rivals think he stands a good chance. We along with others, have made clear our concerns about allegations of torture and mistreatment, and some aspects of the way the trial was conducted, such as lack of access to international observers, accusations that defendants could not access their lawyers, and the length of the sentencing.". Scousers have got long memories, said one council insider. A massive fraud scheme spanning some three years at the Manchester Municipal Corporation has this afternoon resulted in the conviction of 5 persons including former local government officials. "That should be of concern to football supporters as well as human rights organisations. Sir Richard Leese: Manchester City Council boss to quit after 25 years 8 September 2021 Getty Images Sir Richard Leese was elected to the city council in 1984 The leader of Manchester City. ", This condemnation of the UAE for a crackdown on citizens criticising the ruling regime is relatively recent. 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. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk, 'No one told me it wasn't normal to be hospitalised for period pains. Global Edition. Fraud ii. "All men are born free, equal and independent of each other," Hunt had declared before the forces charged. Others however, may not find it quite so easy to excuse a controversy that is rapidly becoming one of the most serious in the decade of Abu-Dhabi ownership at City, and which threatens to cast a shadow over the dominant force in English football. I must admit - Nicky Butt concedes he was wrong about Manchester United hero Casemiro. members' interests and members' allowances. has learned. 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. The city has improved since the 80s but were slipping back. Town Hall Extension, Albert Square, Manchester, M60 2LA. Sir Richard Leese was elected to the city council in 1984, Sir Richard (right) joined Mayor Andy Burnham in criticising the government's lockdown measures in October, Sir Richard helped oversee the transformation of East Manchester, which is home to Manchester City. Mr Burke refused to comment on the allegations. Sign up for our daily newsletter to get the day's biggest stories sent direct to your inbox. ", 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. The prime minister himself has been persona non grata in Liverpool since it was cast as a self-pitying city in a Spectator article in 2004, when he edited the magazine. Manchester council has launched an investigation and called in the police after allegations were made against its head of corporate technical services, Terry Burke. They should hang their heads in shame.. HRW made specific reference to Manchester City, arguing that ownership of the Premier League club is enabling Abu Dhabi to "construct a public relations image of a progressive, dynamic Gulf state, which deflects attention from what is really going on in the country". Throughout May and June, the task force identified a number of . The British barrister Baroness Kennedy, co-chair of IBAHRI, said: "Disturbing reports of an increasing catalogue of detention, deportation, intimidation and harassment of lawyers by the UAE authorities is creating a climate of fear among the legal profession seriously undermining the rule of law in the country.". The defendants, who include lawyers, teachers and academics, say this was a crackdown by an increasingly authoritarian state, after they voiced valid criticisms of the regime, calling for more democracy and freedom of speech. 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. Such a shift in six weeks time would bring to an end Labours longest continuous period in power since the second world war. No. She will take over from Sir Richard Leese, who is standing down after 25 . We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 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". These examples are entirely unrelated to Der Spiegel's current revelations, but it is increasingly hard to be shocked when it comes to football and money. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said his Labour colleague was "an inspiration" who had "shown incredible leadership" and always "put Manchester first". Please don't include any personal or financial information, for example your National Insurance or credit card numbers. Anna Connell, vicar's daughter at St Mark's church, Gorton. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". "It is a very difficult and ugly feeling when you cannot express yourself because you are in fear of being arrested. In addition to Bokhari, Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt, Councilman James Mitchell, and Councilman Dimple Ajmera sat on the committee. Terry Burke. Meanwhile, in handing down her judgement, Judge Grainger found Elliot guilty of 17 of the 25 counts brought by the Crown. The wider criminal investigation is ongoing with Liverpool braced for further revelations. Earlier this year, Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly agreed to accept a 16.4m fine and a suspended jail term to settle tax evasion charges that he denies. 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. Councilman David Mann's "Commission to Clean Up City Council" might not get at the core of the corruption crisis at City Hall. achieving an annual profit in each of the past four years of accounts, developing a respected youth system, and regenerating parts of east Manchester. You can agree with the principle of FFP or reject it. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The games boosted the city's international profile and kick-started the transformation of East Manchester, involving the construction of the stadium which is now home to Manchester City FC. In 2009, some fans clubbed together to pay for a banner, draped ever since along the stand opposite the directors' box. 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