ALLEGATIONS of misconduct and improper behaviour against Councillor Mahboob Hussain will be heard by Sandwell Council’s standards committee next month providing he fails in another High Court bid to stop proceedings tomorrow (Thursday). 

Serious allegations have been made about Oldbury Councillor Hussain, the former deputy leader, regarding land sales and parking tickets.

It’s alleged that Councillor Hussain abused his position on the council to secure the sale of land to a close associate for just £35,000 when he knew it had been valued at £130,000, and that he wrongly secured the cancellation of parking tickets and reduction of parking fines issued to members of his family.

The standards complaint does not raise the issues of housing allocation which have been referred to West Midlands Police.

The outcome of any police investigation will determine whether these matters are referred to the standards committee in future.

The two-day hearing will take place at a public meeting in the council chambers on March 9 and 10. Cllr Hussain had been expected to appear before the committee in August 2016.

It follows an in-depth investigation by the council and several legal challenges in the High Court. The council has recently received final comments from Councillor Hussain allowing the investigation to be concluded and the matter referred to standards.

Councillor Hussain has been informed of the dates of the hearing.

Monitoring Officer Meic Sullivan-Gould said: “I’ve looked carefully and thoroughly at all of the information regarding the allegations.

“Following the conclusion of the council’s investigation, I have determined that these matters should be referred to the council’s standards committee.

“As these issues involve an elected member, it’s in the public interest that the committee considers these serious allegations made against Councillor Hussain.”

If the committee finds Councillor Hussain has breached the council’s Member Code of Conduct, Councillor Hussain could be reprimanded.

Councillor Hussain has this month taken further legal action against the council that, if successful, would prevent the standards committee hearing from proceeding.

On Thursday at the High Court in London he will seek a stay of proceedings in the council’s standards process while he appeals against the council’s decision to publish the Gowling WLG, formerly Wragge & Co, and James Goudie QC reports.

If the stay in proceedings is granted in court tomorrow (Thursday), all standards proceedings will by law have to be put on hold. The council is opposing Councillor Hussain’s application for a stay in proceedings.

In June 2016, Councillor Hussain applied for a judicial review against the publication of reports into allegations made against him. His application was denied and the reports were published.