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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. A building firm is helping with a council corruption probe following the suspension of a town hall boss. Zayed distributed wealth to the wider population and, although democracy has always been outlawed, he famously talked of gradually introducing voting rights: "Moving towards a parliamentary, integrated and comprehensive system in a society liberated from fear.". They should hang their heads in shame.. Hatton has not commented on his arrest. (two-thirds of which was suspended and avoided) along with restrictions on their European squad and incoming transfers, that the club were found to have breached the FFP rules. Elliots mother, Myrtle and a former bank teller, Radcliffe McLean are the other two defendants whove been set free. The Abu Dhabi cash and Mubarak's and his other executives' business expertise are transforming not only Manchester City but the stadium that was built with 127m lottery and local council money for the 2002 Commonwealth Games as a means of regenerating east Manchester. The corporation was previously called the Manchester Parish Council. The Premier League rejected that proposal but says it does ask the government about owners and will have been told that the UAE is a trusted ally. G`RQ? c57aRx>h(UcEhR[vF2(*_U7e:UJYtx*@/0ArR*Dg' 5 eU?HF>n;UO2T He was also found guilty of two other counts. Manchester council has launched an investigation and called in the police after allegations were made against its head of corporate technical services, Terry Burke. Terry Burke, Manchester town halls head of corporate technical services, was suspended on full pay in August 2012. Sheikh Zayed, who died in 2004, was widely revered as a visionary, planning Abu Dhabi's super-fast development after the oil riches transformed the country from the 1960s, while retaining traditional Sunni Muslim values. But football surrendered the moral high ground a long time ago, and many observers therefore have become jaded as a result. Some have suggested that City's apparent attempts to circumvent FFP are nothing more than a canny and understandable exploitation of various loopholes in the rules, and should be viewed with some sympathy, given the controversy surrounding FFP. Elliot and his co-conspirators Harris and Roberts were also found guilty of an act of corruption. <> Others however, insist that if clubs sign up to play in Uefa's tournaments, then they should abide by the rules, and that a failure to do so damages the fundamental sense of fair play on which sport is meant to depend. 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. How all this strife and struggle over the rulers by birth of a complex, faraway country ended up washing into the fabric of Manchester City is a story of our times. English football has been warned it has allowed one of its major clubs to be exploited as a "branding vehicle" by an international regime accused of human rights abuses after a trial in Abu Dhabi, a country ruled by Manchester City's owner and his brothers, was widely denounced as repressive, involving torture, and "fundamentally unfair". As reported in the M.E.N. ", Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, The family of Manchester City's owner Sheikh Mansour rule Abu Dhabi, the dominant state in the United Arab Emirates. Former Superintendent of Roads and Works at the Corporation, Sanjay Elliot, the mastermind behind the fraud scheme, his former employee Dwayne Sibblies, Acting CEO David Harris and Temporary Works Overseer Kendale Roberts have all been found guilty. So far the claims of financial malpractice fall into two broad categories; firstly, that sponsorship deals were artificially inflated and not valued fairly or independent (as City previously insisted), with tens of millions of pounds thought to have been paid by commercial partners, actually coming directly and discreetly from the club's owner. 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 city has improved since the 80s but were slipping back. It made me cry when I read the report, said Jayne Casey, one of the citys most influential cultural figures. Lucy Powell, Labour MP for Manchester Central, tweeted that he was "the giant of local government and local leadership". Nor will claims - however concerning - that executives ignored internal warnings about the reputational risk of striking a sponsorship deal with a Dubai-based construction company accused of mistreating migrant workers, and that a director sought to delay a response to a Freedom of Information request from a respected human rights expert over a commercial deal with the city council, have spoiled the fans' enjoyment of yet another convincing victory. 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. Its a city that was standing on the world stage. Football's complex balance of power, politics and money may be approaching a tipping point. Analysis: Political fallout could cost Labour the citys mayoralty and votes in Mays local elections, It was a devastating indictment of one of Britains most powerful councils: a rotten culture of dubious contracts and backroom bullying, where staff were silenced and official records dumped in skips. While City, PSG and other clubs appear to have made a mockery of FFP, Uefa stands by its regulations, arguing that they have made club finances healthier and more stable than ever, with 1,700m euros of combined losses across professional European leagues in 2011 transformed into 600m euros of profit last year. 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. Such a denial now appears undermined. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. In an interview with the Manchester Evening News, Sir Richard said he wanted to spend more time with his grandchildren, adding: "I don't want to do 60-hour weeks and 12-hour days.". Qx=-PDVYxVN0oeBuUL1+rbM_a[e,X~t" "\${ +3]fcuszvyuMLLoRhh~19vjsum]J2o, u@#@;UN [~k@FX5x-C1?$[z}bEommQQ0*zaV0,Q?g2QXnB2 ~sr)g-xV0, VO8]pj$nCfRb3._gxY{Z13qr[Fahy&HwH$|`|PTz^79hQ Clubs that are backed these days not just by private investors, but by the rulers of entire petro-states, armed with sovereign wealth funds. Man, 37, found dead inside car as police cordon off area near cemetery, Eye witnesses described seeing a heavy police and emergency service response in the area, 'I left school in Salford at 16 - now I'm a millionaire with a Lamborghini and a Cheshire mansion', 'I get called the queen of aesthetics - that's because I am', Hundreds flock to be 'part of history' as new 53million road which residents have campaigned for decades opens, You'll have to wait a little while longer to drive down it though, The one-off DWP payments that will arrive in March, The government is offering several forms of support for struggling households amid the cost of living crisis, Real life of ITV Coronation Street's Paul Foreman actor Peter Ash - Emmerdale star relation, rarely seen girlfriend, and first big role with Corrie co-star, Peter started regularly appearing in the ITV soap in January 2019 when Paul arrived in Weatherfield looking for his sister, Gemma, 'No one told me it wasn't normal to be hospitalised for period pains. The governments, Rons Place: cash loan saves palace of outsider art at last minute, Fostering curiosity: the Tate brings great art to the people of Merseyside, Home Office shelves plans to house asylum seekers in Southport Pontins, Government to take greater control of Liverpool city council, Theres nothing else to give them: Liverpool food banks confront rising hunger, Liverpool council votes to scrap three-mayor system, Dont be sad: Liverpool fans pack city streets to welcome heroes home, Concern in Merseyside as the cost of living crisis hits, Ex-Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson no longer under investigation by Lancashire police. 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. It is believed questions were raised over Mr Burkes dealings with subcontractors. Please don't include any personal or financial information, for example your National Insurance or credit card numbers. The Labour-run council has been at the centre of corruption allegations since its head of regeneration, Nick Kavanagh, was arrested in his fourth-floor office of the Grade II-listed Cunard building 15 months ago. Manchester City Council is facing a 153m budget shortfall over the next three years, councillors have heard. Following the probe Mr Burke, of Portside Close, in Worsley , whose job involved construction procurement, has now been sacked. The 48-year-old outlined he had concerns upon Casemiro's arrival but the Man United ace has since quelled his fears. "The mistreatment described in the letters is consistent with other allegations of torture at UAE state security facilities," the statement said, "and indicates that torture is a systematic practice at these facilities". An officer has been suspended while we carry out our investigation. Ann Marie Grainger, Parish Judge, speaking today while delivering the verdict via live audio stream. It does not store any personal data. Nobody has been suspended as a result. It was in relation to allegations that Elliott, McLean and Sibblies, over a 3-year period between 2013 and 2016, conspired to process fraudulent cheques, which were then withdrawn from the municipal corporations bank account. A report to the Labour-run council said while government funding for 2022/23 was . "To the critics of the approach, we say that it enjoys the support of the majority of our citizens," Gargash said. 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. The revelations are likely to anger the fans and owners of smaller teams from the likes of Eastern Europe that were excluded from Uefa competitions over other breaches. 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. A council spokesman said: We are carrying out an internal investigation into allegations made about a council officer. A mayor accused of a coverup. Quite the opposite. 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.. He did not respond when contacted by the M.E.N but is said to be challenging the decision. In 2009, some fans clubbed together to pay for a banner, draped ever since along the stand opposite the directors' box. stream In March 2011, five Emiratis posted a petition addressed to Sheikh Khalifa, the UAE president. Man, 37, found dead inside car as police cordon off area near cemetery, Eye witnesses described seeing a heavy police and emergency service response in the area, 'I left school in Salford at 16 - now I'm a millionaire with a Lamborghini and a Cheshire mansion', 'I get called the queen of aesthetics - that's because I am', Hundreds flock to be 'part of history' as new 53million road which residents have campaigned for decades opens, You'll have to wait a little while longer to drive down it though, The one-off DWP payments that will arrive in March, The government is offering several forms of support for struggling households amid the cost of living crisis, Real life of ITV Coronation Street's Paul Foreman actor Peter Ash - Emmerdale star relation, rarely seen girlfriend, and first big role with Corrie co-star, Peter started regularly appearing in the ITV soap in January 2019 when Paul arrived in Weatherfield looking for his sister, Gemma, 'No one told me it wasn't normal to be hospitalised for period pains. Welcome to our Facebook page. Eighteen months ago, the Independent newspaper claimed that City was making millions of pounds from image rights deals, three years after saying they were forfeiting that income to secure a lump sum to help comply with the FFP rules. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. La Liga's condemnation of City and PSG will therefore be viewed in that context. Sir Richard was involved in the consequent transformation of the city, which had already been selected to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Manchester City are under investigation for alleged financial fair play breaches The inquest began in 2018 when Football Leaks exposed alleged wrongdoings The hacker involved in the leak is. 5 0 obj The Premier League club, though, have unquestionably become the most prominent global projection of Abu Dhabi itself, sponsored by four state-owned companies: the airline Etihad, the telecommunications company Etisalat, the investment company Aabar and the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. Skip to main content. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Dine wrote that the British government has followed the trial closely, and the foreign secretary, William Hague, had: "Raised the importance of ensuring the human rights of all Emirati citizens are fully respected. 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. Everybody will be lifted up if we all aim for equality: Hundreds line the streets in the city centre for Manchester's annual Walk for Women, The march is one of many taking place across the UK for International Women's Day, Emotional scenes at Etihad as Man City fans and Phil Foden pay tribute to tragic Milly-Rose, 6, who died suddenly, The emotional display happened during the sixth minute of Manchester City vs Newcastle, 'We ditched our corporate jobs for life on a narrowboat with our baby - we've never been happier', Despite earning a sixth of their previous income, Joanna and Victor Gould are loving the slower pace of life, We took Jay Rayner for lunch at one his favourite Manchester restaurants - heres what he had to say about the citys food, We sat down for lunch with the acclaimed food critic ahead of his show 'Jazz Up the 80s with the Jay Rayner Sextet' at Manchester's Albert Hall, 'School banned my business when I was 12. Sign up to the MySalford newsletter to keep up with what's happening in and around the city. "I am a liberal secularist and do not belong to any religious group," Mansoor told the Guardian. A look back at highlights from two Dallas City Council corruption cases. They were understood to include the 14m Bow Street site in Moss Side, along with a 6m school renovation project at Southern Cross primary in Chorlton. Manchester council has launched an investigation and called in the police after allegations were made against its head of corporate technical services, Terry Burke. While Arsenal, United and Chelsea are nearing the start of this Premier League season still publicly talking about bids for big-name players, City have quietly spent 87m on four stars for the new manager, Manuel Pellegrini. "There is insufficient evidence that a multiparty system works in the Arab world," Gargashsaid. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. 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. Trusted News Discovery Since 2008. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Former Councilmen Jose Huizar and Mark Ridley-Thomas face criminal charges for racketeering and bribery, respectively. The allegations against Mr Burke were brought to light by a town hall whistleblower. Judge Grainger says based on inference, it was concluded that Mrs. Elliot knew the property and items she obtained were purchased with cash derived from the criminal conduct of her husband. But anyone expecting City to be kicked out of the Champions League is likely to be disappointed. 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. Councilwoman Melissa Hardy . 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. That their club is being used as a form of 'soft-power', to improve the image of a repressive regime in the United Arab Emirates that continues to be accused of human rights abuses. 3,198 were here. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Corporate Services. 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. The people arrested were mostly members of a long-established Muslim social organisation, al-Islah, who say they are not fundamentalist but do openly take issue with elements of the country's rule. The 94 were tried on charges of plotting to overthrow the UAE government, which remains adamant this was proven against the 69 convicted. 65,550 - 70,785 per annum. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 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. 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. Elliot was also found guilty of five other counts of conspiracy to defraud. City supporters are used to such scrutiny of course. I must admit - Nicky Butt concedes he was wrong about Manchester United hero Casemiro. The city established the task force to plan the expenditure of $50 million in federal CARES Act money awarded to Charlotte as a result of the pandemic. The others who were allegedly involved in the scheme were later charged. %PDF-1.4 ", On 17 July, Katherine Dine, a British government official, wrote to Rori Donaghy, campaign manager at the UK-based Emirates Centre for Human Rights, which is pressing the case of the convicted. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The report said the judge ordered medical examinations of the defendants, so the allegations could be investigated, but both human rights groups say no such investigation has taken place. 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? He was knighted in 2006, a year before Manchester International Festival was established to showcase new works by artists from across the world. 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. La Liga are leading the calls for a fresh investigation. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. America's second-largest city was already mired in scandal and chaos. A council chief has been sacked following an investigation into alleged corruption. 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. Another landmark of Mancunian pride is the city's struggle for workers' rights, the first meeting of the Trades Union Congress having been held in Manchester in 1868. The keenly watched hearing lasted over 4 hours today. into City's finances, threatening to lodge a complaint with the EU competition authorities. 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. Professor Munroe says hes confident that todays verdict will have a positive impact on Jamaicas standing on the Corruption Perception Index. The official opposition is the Green Party with three councillors. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. The petition expressed profound respect for Khalifa and the Federal Supreme Council, the law-making organ of state run by the seven emirates' ruling families. He became leader in May 1996, a month before the IRA planted a huge bomb outside the Manchester Arndale shopping centre, which was timed to coincide with the Euro 96 football tournament. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The issue is also being considered by the police. Manchester suffered catastrophically in the 1980s from the collapse of its industry, with 150,000 jobs lost, particularly in the east of the city, which has never recovered. 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. Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. 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. The UAE authorities' response to the torture allegations, which were raised in court, is to argue that the alleged victims should have reported them to the police. Trusted News Discovery Since 2008. Something went wrong, please try again later. 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 cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Uefa is now under mounting pressure to act again and demonstrate that such apparent disregard for its rules cannot be tolerated. That does not suggest a governing body that is too bothered about getting tough. CINCINNATI Just hours after a third member of Cincinnati City Council was arrested Thursday by federal agents on public corruption charges in a single year, Mayor John Cranley said it's time . Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer, the rules and procedures to be followed by the Council and committees when conducting their business, the decision making powers of the Executive and of Committees, the scheme of delegation to chief officers, details about key roles, including Head of Paid Service (our, the rights of the public to inspect reports and background documents, codes of conduct for councillors and employees. Labour figures fear losing the mayoralty, a position created by Anderson in 2012, would cast them into the wilderness because the mayor selects their own cabinet and would be unlikely to pick members tainted by the corruption scandal. Mubarak accompanied Sheikh Mohammed to that meeting. Combine that fatigue with fans' tribalistic loyalty to their team, and it is easy to see why sport seems so able to withstand such controversies. Thursday, March 2, 2023. members' interests and members' allowances. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. At the first court hearing on 4 March 2013 in Abu Dhabi, Amnesty and HRW reported that several defendants told the judge they had been "seriously ill-treated during months in detention". Mansour is the Abu Dhabi deputy prime minister, responsible for the country's judges, and sits on the board of key investment funds. Councilman David Mann's "Commission to Clean Up City Council" might not get at the core of the corruption crisis at City Hall. The state security apparatus can be very ugly, so people are really afraid to say anything.". Racist backroom plotting. 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". Former Councilman Mitchell Englander, who represented the West Valley, went to prison for obstructing a corruption probe.