Call for information on Fraud Allegations
A few weeks ago, it emerged that the Metropolitan Police had interviewed multiple Haringey Labour councillors, due to allegations of fraud regarding the Cranwood development in Muswell Hill. We became aware of questionable property deals going back over ten years, and demanded a wide-ranging investigation into possible corruption. Thanks to the pressure of Liberal Democrats in the council chamber, and all residents who signed our petition, the Leader of the Council was forced to agree to a corruption probe.
The initial allegations centred around a report from the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) - the watchdog for councils - which reprimanded Haringey for paying over £2 million for a house (valued at £850,000) to facilitate a development at Cranwood in Muswell Hill, and for not treating a resident in a neighbouring house equally.
There were also indications of a cover-up after the council failed to co-operate with the watchdog, misled its own scrutiny committee around when decisions were made, and even lobbied to have the then Leader of the Council’s name removed from the report.
At a meeting of the council on Tuesday night, called by our Lib Dem councillors, Labour watered down a resolution to look into this and other historic deals, but did accept the need for an investigation. The Leader of the Opposition was invited by the Leader of the Council to meet with her and the Interim Chief Executive to determine the scope of the investigation, during which Liberal Democrats will be asking the council and any external investigation to look at deals including, but not limited to:
- Cranwood
- Alexandra House
- Apex House
- Fortismere School
- Land at Gourley Triangle
- The former Greenfields School on Coppetts Road
- Red House
- Forster Road
- Hornsey Town Hall
- Shaftesbury Road
- The library on Compton Crescent
- 256 St Ann's Road
If you have information about any of these developments, or are aware of concerns about other sites, please let us know here.
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