"It is a very difficult and ugly feeling when you cannot express yourself because you are in fear of being arrested. 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. In huge whiteletters on a sky blue background, it says: "MANCHESTER THANKS YOU, SHEIKH MANSOUR. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The regime, whose army and security services are headed by Sheikh Mansour's brother, Sheikh Mohammed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, maintains the 69 were operating as a front for the Muslim Brotherhood, and seeking to impose a conservative Islamist state, including by military means. Kavanagh, his former regeneration chief, has said he had always acted within the rules and would defend his innocence. 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. "I, with another person, initiated the petition, then I was subjected to a smear campaign, arrested for comments deemed to be insulting to the president, and put in jail," he said. 2:16. in 2016 after the European Commission ruled that preferential loans to the clubs and deals on tax and property constituted illegal government help. He did not respond when contacted by the M.E.N but is said to be challenging the decision. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? "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.". No-one was killed in the explosion although many people were injured. HRW made specific reference to Manchester City, arguing that ownership of the Premier League club is enabling Abu Dhabi to "construct a public relations image of a progressive, dynamic Gulf state, which deflects attention from what is really going on in the country". 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. As our inquiries at a very early stage, we are not in a position to release any further information., A source added: Were confident we run a clean ship which is why were really pleased that people have been comfortable enough to come forward, meaning an investigation is now taking place., A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: GMP is investigating allegations made about a council officer. Clubs that are backed these days not just by private investors, but by the rulers of entire petro-states, armed with sovereign wealth funds. No arrests have been made. I must admit - Nicky Butt concedes he was wrong about Manchester United hero Casemiro. Thursday, March 2, 2023. The two great Manchester football clubs emerged from this industrial tumult and social progress; United formed with the approval of employers at the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1878, City two years later by Anna Connell, vicar's daughter at St Mark's church, Gorton, part of an effort to provide some decent recreation in the toughest of neighbourhoods. Last updated on 7 November 20187 November 2018.From the section Football. In 2022, Tauna copped the Press Association of Jamaica 2021 Opinion Journalist of the Year award. Established in 2011 to prevent clubs spending more than they earned and getting into financial problems which might threaten their long-term survival, FFP originally limited clubs to losses of 26m over a three-year period. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Three Florence City Council members submitted their resignation overnight amid a growing corruption scandal. Littleborough community choir, Chorley Old Road closed after car crashes into electrical box, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. An internal auditing process then picked up irregularities. 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. 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. Several were given severe sentences, including the lawyers Mohamed al-Roken and Mohamed al-Mansoori, both sent to prison for 10 years. 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. 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. 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. %PDF-1.4 Six of the 94 detainees finally appeared before a judge in Abu Dhabi on 6 September 2012 and were reported by HRW and Amnesty to have appeared "dishevelled, disoriented and distressed". His wife, Tasha-Gaye Golbourne Elliot was found guilty of two counts. It does not store any personal data. 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. 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.. "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. ", Nicholas McGeehan, UAE researcher for HRW, describes the country in the light of the recent trial as increasingly "a black hole" for many basic human rights: "In this situation, a Premier League club is being used as a branding vehicle to promote and effectively launder the reputation of a country perpetrating serial human rights abuses," he said. Test yourself with these 12 questions, Do you know your local leaders from your Manchester suburbs? 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The investigation escalated in December with the arrest of Joe Anderson, the councils figurehead for 12 years, alongside four other men including Derek Hatton, the 72-year-old leftwing firebrand who ran Liverpool three decades ago. It is also aware of the hypocrisy that exists in football, mindful of the fact that Real Madrid was one of seven Spanish clubs ordered to repay tens of millions of euros of state aid in 2016 after the European Commission ruled that preferential loans to the clubs and deals on tax and property constituted illegal government help. Elliot and his co-conspirators Harris and Roberts were also found guilty of an act of corruption. The council is controlled by the Labour Party and led by Bev Craig. Elliots wife Tasha-Gaye has also been found guilty. An internal auditing process carried out by the council then picked up irregularities. 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. One of those who could benefit from an exodus of Labour voters is Stephen Yip, a Liverpool-born charity founder who has promised to give away his salary if elected as mayor. Following the probe Mr Burke, of Portside Close, in Worsley , whose job involved construction procurement, has now been sacked. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. So far it has refused to comment "due to confidentiality obligations" which it says must be respected, and it may well conclude that its own rules do not allow for City to be sanctioned for a second time after the 2014 settlement. 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. We could be completely cut out, said one source. 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. He was knighted in 2006, a year before Manchester International Festival was established to showcase new works by artists from across the world. The others who were allegedly involved in the scheme were later charged. Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. Former Councilman Mitchell Englander, who represented the West Valley, went to prison for obstructing a corruption probe. He has been suspended while a full investigation is carried out. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk, 'No one told me it wasn't normal to be hospitalised for period pains. What is not yet fully known is how much of this Uefa was already aware of, and how much it really cares. 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. It is understood allegations were made involving multi-million pound building projects across the city. Critics argued it was a restrictive and crude attempt to entrench the status quo, favouring the established clubs with the biggest incomes, and making life difficult for ambitious challengers, contributing to a lack of competition in some leagues. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 65,550 - 70,785 per annum. The fifth guilty verdict was handed down in relation to Elliots wife, Tasha-Gaye. In November, David Cameron flew to Dubai, seeking to persuade the UAE government to buy 60 Typhoon fighters from UK companies in a deal reckoned to be worth 3bn. 5 0 obj 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. Professor Munroe says hes confident that todays verdict will have a positive impact on Jamaicas standing on the Corruption Perception Index. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Quite the opposite. Mubarak has always emphasised that City is a private business acquisition by Sheikh Mansour, with Mubarak charged to make it profitable, worth more than the 1bn spent, in 10 years. 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. The Emirati population, which numbers around one million, are still considered by commentators to be largely content, particularly given the country's stability in a Middle East in turmoil and civil war elsewhere. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Given their cultural influence and importance to their communities, it is absolutely right that big clubs like City are held to account. 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 leader of Manchester City Council has announced that he will step down after 25 years in the role. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 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. Corporate Services. Man United were heavily linked with a move for Dutch attacker Cody Gakpo prior to his move to Liverpool in January. Sir Richard was involved in the consequent transformation of the city, which had already been selected to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Uefa are understood to be wary of the threat of a legal challenge by clubs with the resources of City and PSG, and reluctant to weaken their competitions by excluding some of the world's best players. Feedback submitted to us on this form is monitored but you wont receive a reply. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. achieving an annual profit in each of the past four years of accounts, developing a respected youth system, and regenerating parts of east Manchester. 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. Such a denial now appears undermined. Mr Burnham said Greater Manchester was "immeasurably stronger" and Sir Richard had "been at the heart of that". 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.". 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. 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. And secondly, that City under a scheme called Project Longbow set up a shell company to pay players for image rights, saving millions more from the wage bill. Back then, Labour managed to hold on to its control of the council partly by expelling Militant members but today the public mood seems more perilous. The BBC has not been able to verify the leaked emails published by Der Spiegel, and City have refused to comment, beyond saying that the documents are "purportedly hacked or stolen" and an "organised attempt" to smear the club. The defendants, who include lawyers, teachers and academics, say this was a crackdown by an increasingly authoritarian state, after they voiced valid criticisms of the regime, calling for more democracy and freedom of speech. Terry Burke. Theyre toxic, even today. 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The Cunard building, on the Liverpool waterfront, is home to the city councils administration. Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Nelson's 97th-minute stunner gives Arsenal victory, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78. "He has had one of the biggest impacts that any politician I can think of has made. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Judge Grainger ruled today that Elliot, Harris and Roberts had all knowingly participated in the scheme. 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. 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. Sir Richard, a former teacher and youth worker, was elected to the city council in 1984. Global Edition. This is being done in line with the councils standard procedures. But I feel I must talk. Uefa is now under mounting pressure to act again and demonstrate that such apparent disregard for its rules cannot be tolerated. Elliot was also found guilty of three counts of engaging in transactions that involved criminal property. No. No one else employed by the council is currently believed to be involved. A Liverpool Echo poll of thousands of their readers found that 69% intended to change their vote in the impending council and mayoral elections. Instead of an anti-Tory backlash, the drama has reprised memories of Liverpools political pariah status in the mid-1980s when Hattons Militant-led council plunged the city into near-bankruptcy. 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.