Election fraud gang in court for pre-trial

SLOUGH's former deputy mayor Mohammed Aziz and disgraced ex-councillor Eshaq Khan are due to appear in court following the town's election fraud fiasco.

The Tory duo, who previously pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to defraud, are expected at Reading Crown Court today (Monday) for a pre-trial hearing.

This is before the start of the actual trial on Monday, February 2.

Khan was previously found guilty by a special election court for vote rigging in Slough's May 2007 local elections where he unseated Labour's Lydia Simmons after 23-year in power in the Central-ward.

The 51-year-old, of Oban Court, Chalvey, also denied conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and perjury at an earlier hearing.

Khan and Aziz, 50, of Wellesley Road, will be joined by six other Slough men - Arshad Raja, 52, of Broadmark Road, Yasar Mumtaz, 20, of Wellesley Road, and Altaf Khan, 31, of Knolton Way, who previously pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to defraud, and Mohammed Khan, 45, of Mirador Crescent, who had pleaded guilty to the charge.

Gulnawaz Khan 57, of Richmond Crescent, and Mahboob Khan, 46, of Quinbrookes, who have previously pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, is also up in court.

But Mohammed Khan, who also pleaded guilty to that charge at an earlier hearing but will not be sentenced until the whole trial is over, is also due to appear in court with Gulnawaz Khan and Mahboob Khan who all deny perjury.

Altaf Khan also denies impersonation.