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. G`RQ? c57aRx>h(UcEhR[vF2(*_U7e:UJYtx*@/0ArR*Dg' 5 eU?HF>n;UO2T Anna Connell, vicar's daughter at St Mark's church, Gorton. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? 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. Welcome to our Facebook page. Read about our approach to external linking. Trusted News Discovery Since 2008. And while some observers will be dismayed by Der Spiegel's rare and fascinating insight into the murky underbelly of the football industry, and the decisions apparently taken by City's hierarchy as they plotted their assault on English football's established order, others will merely view it as reinforcing their suspicions and their perceptions of a game already tainted by a series of financial controversies. Seen as one of the most powerful Labour politicians in England, Sir Richard signed up to the devolution deal, which saw more powers shifted from central government to regional authorities. The authorities argue there is no connection between that case of the "UAE5", and the arrests and prosecution of the "UAE 94" that followed last year. Michael Parkinson, an honorary professor at the University of Liverpool who has written extensively about the citys history, said it was a very challenging, depressing moment and that there was a real risk of reputational damage to all of Liverpool not just the council. The major northern football clubs have flourished on pay TV after so much industry collapsed around them but the Premier League's economics are such that clubs, Arsenal in the Emirates Stadium apart, struggle to compete against Manchester United's dominant wealth without a billionaire's backing. He added: "A quarter of a century on the frontline of politics is tough. A Liverpool Echo poll of thousands of their readers found that 69% intended to change their vote in the impending council and mayoral elections. One of the most persistent, Ahmed Mansoor, was kept in jail for eight months before being sentenced to three years in prison for criticising the regime. She will take over from Sir Richard Leese, who is standing down after 25 . Former Councilmen Jose Huizar and Mark Ridley-Thomas face criminal charges for racketeering and bribery, respectively. No one else employed by the council is currently believed to be involved. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images, vehemently protested against the mass arrest of 94 people. In huge whiteletters on a sky blue background, it says: "MANCHESTER THANKS YOU, SHEIKH MANSOUR. 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. Immediately after his sentence Mansoor, along with the other petitioners, received a presidential pardon. The 48-year-old outlined he had concerns upon Casemiro's arrival but the Man United ace has since quelled his fears. "His oversight of the transformation of our city - in so many different ways - leaves a huge and powerful legacy that will be unmatched for a very, very long time. 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. "He has had one of the biggest impacts that any politician I can think of has made. % 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. The governments damning verdict on Liverpool city council was summed up by a single word on the front page of the local newspaper: Failed., The feeling of many Liverpudlians was one of shame, anger and betrayal. The former Football Association chairman Lord Triesman proposed including in the sports authorities' "fit and proper person test" for club owners consideration of HRW's human rights reports by country. A senior town hall manager has been suspended amid claims of corruption. If they are authentic - (and Der Spiegel insist that their source - purportedly the founder of the Football Leaks whistleblower website - has assured them that he did not hack or steal the documents) - then many will inevitably conclude that they do not reflect well on the club, and raise serious questions over its integrity and its respect for the rules. 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? The Labour politician oversaw a landmark period in the city's history, including the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the 2017 Manchester Arena attack. While being found not guilty in relation to the ownership of his home, Elliot was found guilty of four other counts of possession of criminal property. 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. Test yourself with these 12 questions, Do you know your local leaders from your Manchester suburbs? The anti-corruption commission will scrutinise the officials for allegedly awarding contracts to various.. Australia One News Page: Thursday, 2 March 2023. 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. No arrests have been made and officers are working closely with Manchester council.. Agriculture Minister Highlights the Importance of Food Security as World Grapples with COVID-19, Financial Institutions Now Allowed To Pay Dividends To Small Shareholders. The Presiding Parish Judge says in relation to Sibblies, evidence led by the Crown showed that he conspired with Elliot in the fraud scheme. Anwar Gargash, the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, has rejected critics of the regime, arguing they do not give enough credit for the UAE's achievements, including the "secure and stable livelihood" the UAE enables its residents to have in a trouble-torn region. GB Building Solutions has launched its own investigation after Manchester council suspended its head of corporate technical services, Terry Burke, following allegations that he profited from deals done by the council. It is understood that questions have been raised over Mr Burke's dealings with subcontractors working on the projects which were both contracted to a firm called GB Building Solutions. When David Silva, Sergio Agero and Yaya Tour weave their patterns in the Etihad Stadium, the hoardings around the pitch beam "Visit Abu Dhabi, Travellers Welcome" to the 200 countries where Premier League football is viewed a great global advert. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". LONDON (AP) - Manchester City is now a tainted champion. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. A broader organizational review is needed; an introspection that will . A building firm is helping with a council corruption probe following the suspension of a town hall boss. ", Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? An internal audit picked up irregularities and an investigation was immediately launched. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 2:16. Visit our website at www.manchester.gov.uk 5 0 obj They pointed out that the system allowed for a club like Manchester United to be saddled with hundreds of millions of pounds of debt and interest repayments by its Florida-based owners the Glazers - who also take tens of millions out of the club for themselves each year - yet punished City. I must admit - Nicky Butt concedes he was wrong about Manchester United hero Casemiro. in 2016 after the European Commission ruled that preferential loans to the clubs and deals on tax and property constituted illegal government help. HRW's previous concerns have centred on low pay and grim conditions for the people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and elsewhere brought to the UAE to build its prestige buildings, and work in domestic service. What Der Spiegel's revelations claim to have shown for the first time however is how it was done, and the extent of the alleged deception. No arrests have been made. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Currently the council is controlled by the Labour Party. 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. 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. 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. Sir Richard, a former teacher and youth worker, was elected to the city council in 1984. 139. "The UAE judicial system ensures that the rule of law prevails and that no person is above the law," the Ministry of Justice said in a statement. However, Parkinson said the city was not back in the dark days of the 1980s but was under the leadership of a new chief executive, Tony Reeves, who was singled out for praise by the governments inspection team. 65,550 - 70,785 per annum. Sheikh Mansour's money is now building a 140m training campus on 80 acres of largely derelict land, the most significant private business investment into east Manchester for years. Former [] Whereas Manchester became the world's first industrial city in the 1800s, Abu Dhabi did not have a paved road until 1961, when its deep reserves of oil began to be exploited. "When a prospective takeover is from overseas we confirm that those involved are legally permitted to invest in this country," a Premier League spokesman said, "and, when appropriate, seek the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.". Let us not forget that in 2014, rather than make an example of City and ban them from Europe, Uefa instead struck a deal that saw one of the richest clubs in the world handed a fine of just 17m. Fernandinho, 30m from Shakhtar Donetsk, Jess Navas, 15m from Sevilla, Stevan Jovetic, 22m from Fiorentina and Alvaro Negredo, 20m, also from Sevilla, have been assembled to renew Sheikh Mansour's intentions for City to achieve Premier League and European success. 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. 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. Man United were heavily linked with a move for Dutch attacker Cody Gakpo prior to his move to Liverpool in January. Please don't include any personal or financial information, for example your National Insurance or credit card numbers. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Ann Marie Grainger, Parish Judge, speaking today while delivering the verdict via live audio stream. Three former officials at the Manchester Municipal Corporation and two of their co-accused have been convicted for their roles in a fraud scheme that fleeced the local government authority approximately $400 million. Racist backroom plotting. This despite the club earning praise for the way it has invested 1.45bn of Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth since Sheikh Mansour's takeover in 2008, achieving an annual profit in each of the past four years of accounts, developing a respected youth system, and regenerating parts of east Manchester. Extent of Manchester City's corruption revealed in the full UEFA judgement - Etihad renegotiated deal four times despite being tied to club for 10 years Posted by Biscan's Boots 2 years ago. These included the Manchester Arena bombing and being "side-by-side" lobbying the government over proposed coronavirus restrictions, he said. Council chief executive Joanne Roney described him as "a towering figure". Thursday, March 2, 2023. Terry Burke, Manchester town halls head of corporate technical services, was suspended on full pay in August 2012. 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. PROBE INTO DEALS: Terry Burke has been suspended from his post at Manchester council. Amnesty and HRW have stated that they believe torture is "a systematic practice" in Abu Dhabi and UAE state security jails, and that complaints that these men were tortured, including to extract confessions, have not been investigated. achieving an annual profit in each of the past four years of accounts, developing a respected youth system, and regenerating parts of east Manchester. The allegations against Mr Burke were brought to light by a town hall whistleblower. I must admit - Nicky Butt concedes he was wrong about Manchester United hero Casemiro. Manchester City is run by Khaldoon al-Mubarak, the chairman, a senior Abu Dhabi government and business figure, who works principally for Sheikh Mohammed. An officer has been suspended while we carry out our investigation. 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. 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. Sign up to the MySalford newsletter to keep up with what's happening in and around the city. The reconstruction has been done with a care to appreciate the fans' loyalty through City's long-suffering years and to celebrate the club's heritage and former players in ways no previous Manchester owners ever managed. Other allegations of torture included one detainee saying he was "beaten with a plastic tube all over my body"; another wrote he was tied to a chair and threatened with electrocution. Manchester council has launched an investigation and called in the police after allegations were made against its head of corporate technical services, Terry Burke. 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. ", This condemnation of the UAE for a crackdown on citizens criticising the ruling regime is relatively recent. He was deputed from his duties for Sheikh Mohammed to run City shortly after Mansour bought the club, to shape a more dignified direction after the initial frenzy of media coverage which was all about money and considered detrimental by the Abu Dhabi establishment. A senior town hall manager has been suspended amid claims of corruption. Bev Craig has been elected as the new leader of Manchester City Council, becoming the local authority's first female chief. Man United were heavily linked with a move for Dutch attacker Cody Gakpo prior to his move to Liverpool in January. 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. In an emergency, visit our emergency contact details page. The council is controlled by the Labour Party and led by Bev Craig. 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. Terry Burke. It is unlikely that many of the Manchester City fans who attended the club's match against Shakhtar Donetsk will have been too concerned about a third day of revelations and leaked emails published by German news magazine Der Spiegel.