ASAF Afzal was one of four men to attend court today after being charged in relation to postal vote fraud in Derby – while Keir Starmer continues to ignore over thirty Labour politicians who have been either arrested, suspended, or placed under investigation in the past six months alone.
An investigation into the tampering of postal votes saw the former Labour councillor arrested, interviewed, and then charged along with four other alleged accomplices.
Taking the stand today, Afzal, who is also Chairman of the Pakistan Community Centre in Derby, did not enter a plea, and to a single charge of perverting the course of justice.
Afzal stood for reelection in the May 2019 City Council elections, ultimately losing his seat to the Lib Dems.
In a statement last month, Derbyshire Police said: “Four people have been charged with perverting the course of justice following enquiries into an alleged incident of election fraud relating to the Derby City Council elections in May 2019.
“The four, three men and one woman, are:
“Mohan Singh, 77 – two counts of perverting the course of justice;
“Baljit Rehalu, 41 – two counts of perverting the course of justice;
“Mohinder Rehala, 53, – one count of perverting the course of justice.
“Asaf Afzal, 53, of Colwyn Avenue, Derby – one count of perverting the course of justice.”
The former Labour Councillor – one of a string from the Labour Party arrested in recent times for either vote fraud, corruption, or other forms of criminality – has so far refused to provide a full statement, saying only that: “The matters are in the hands of my solicitors.”
His case, along with the three co-accused has now been sent to Derby Crown Court, with a trial preparation hearing scheduled for mid-April.
