The Mirror reports:
Former Tory Minister Michael Mates is being probed for alleged electoral fraud over his attempt to become one of David Cameron’s new police commissioners.
The crony of crooked tycoon and Tory donor Asil Nadir, will be grilled by police over claims he broke election laws by giving a false address to win the lucrative post…
It was sparked by a complaint from rival Don Jerrard, an independent “justice and anti-corruption” candidate fighting Mr Mates for the £85,000-a-year role running the Hampshire force.
The former lawyer wrote to the county’s Chief Constable claiming Mr Mates breached the 2006 Fraud Act by giving his address as a house where he rents rooms in Winchester.
But Mr Jarrard claims Mr Mates, 78, and wife Mary were on the electoral role in neighbouring West Sussex, where they have lived for 15 years, until earlier this year.
Mr Mates last night said police had no choice but to investigate but claimed he was the innocent victim of a smear attempt.
Michael Mates, you may recall, was previously the subject of a fine investigative piece by Michael Crick.
* Mark Pack is Party President and is the editor of Liberal Democrat Newswire.
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5 Comments
Don’t let the buggers get you down, Mates!
If Mr Mates publishes on the web the relevant address portion of his driving licence, a recent bank statement, a recent credit card bill and vehicle registration document then we will see where he thinks he lives…
This demonstrates the problem with the PCC elections. There’s so little public engagement with the whole thing that the usual scrutiny that keeps politicians broadly on the straight and narrow isn’t being applied. How many more ‘Mates’ are out there?
What happens if Mates is elected on 15 November & then is subsequently found guilty of electoral fraud?
He gets disqualified!