They argue that the super-capitalist development has been done without sufficient consultation and is a departure too far from traditional Muslim values, that the ruling family is notaccountable for how the country's money is spent, and that freedom is too limited. (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. Manchester City is run by Khaldoon al-Mubarak, the chairman, a senior Abu Dhabi government and business figure, who works principally for Sheikh Mohammed. You side with the Tories, youve slept with the devil. A council chief has been sacked following an investigation into alleged corruption. 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. Last updated on 7 November 20187 November 2018.From the section Football. 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". Earlier this year, Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly agreed to accept a 16.4m fine and a suspended jail term to settle tax evasion charges that he denies. Elliots wife Tasha-Gaye has also been found guilty. 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. "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. 5'(4I'zh4,l+!{E9. This decision is subject to an ongoing appeal.. Quoting Zayed's vision of a parliamentary system for "a society liberated from fear," the petition asked for greater democracy, by: "Electing all the members of the Federal Supreme Council by all citizens in the same manner that is approached in the democratic countries around the world." Professor Trevor Munroe, Anti-corruption Activist and Executive Director of the National Integrity Action, speaking this afternoon with Nationwide News. 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. 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. Football's complex balance of power, politics and money may be approaching a tipping point. Read about our approach to external linking. You can also send story ideas to
[email protected], 'No one told me it wasn't normal to be hospitalised for period pains. 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. A Liverpool Echo poll of thousands of their readers found that 69% intended to change their vote in the impending council and mayoral elections. The issue is also being considered by the police. 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. There are three for each of the 32 wards. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. A team of Whitehall commissioners has been sent to oversee large parts of the dysfunctional council for at least three years an unprecedented step for a city its size while Labour has ordered an investigation into what went wrong. 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. In March 2011, five Emiratis posted a petition addressed to Sheikh Khalifa, the UAE president. Last summer, after the number of people arrested had grown to over 50, the official Emirates News Agency stated that the security services' investigation revealed that those arrested had "set up links with external elements, and had worked in an organised and systematic manner, causing harm to the country and spreading false information, in order to incite others against the country and to distort its shining image before the world". 5 0 obj 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. 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. Liverpool council may have squandered up to 100m of public money, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. On 26 June, Amnesty and HRW issued their most serious statement on the case, detailing allegations of "systematic" torture, based on hand-written letters smuggled out of the jails. 3,198 were here. GB Building Solutions has launched its own investigation after Manchester council. Welcome to our Facebook page. 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. This Anti Fraud and Corruption policy describes our overall approach to . 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. The 48-year-old outlined he had concerns upon Casemiro's arrival but the Man United ace has since quelled his fears. <> Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have vehemently protested against the mass arrest of 94 people, their alleged torture while in Abu Dhabi jails, a "fundamentally unfair" trial, and long prison sentences with no right of appeal handed down earlier this month to the 69 people convicted. ", 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. Detroit The City Council returned Tuesday from summer recess with one member facing a federal conspiracy charge and two others targeted in FBI raids last month in a corruption . 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. Please don't include any personal or financial information, for example your National Insurance or credit card numbers. This despite the club earning praise for the way it has invested 1.45bn of Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth since. "I am a liberal secularist and do not belong to any religious group," Mansoor told the Guardian. City supporters are used to such scrutiny of course. 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. In London on 16 July, a fortnight after the 69 defendants were convicted in the UAE, the crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed, was in London, meeting Philip Hammond, the British defence secretary, to discuss "co-operation between the two countries pertaining to military and defence affairs." "He has had one of the biggest impacts that any politician I can think of has made. They should hang their heads in shame.. 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 keenly watched hearing lasted over 4 hours today. No. G`RQ? c57aRx>h(UcEhR[vF2(*_U7e:UJYtx*@/0ArR*Dg' 5 eU?HF>n;UO2T 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. 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. 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. ", 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. A broader organizational review is needed; an introspection that will . 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. Many of the council's staff are based at Manchester Town Hall . xZ[o\~_q[`$6A ?$E iWRbi%[y_9+N6 xx|s#L}tYlNWW3T0}q=;q^8^aV9[vs!`JrB],ui]}Xj3*u\_FanE?tj=PL>=-Pe$fLNk4dr)|6c|FmH&zmh)R9OL/KaOO| Pastor and . He was also found guilty of two other counts. I must admit - Nicky Butt concedes he was wrong about Manchester United hero Casemiro. He did not respond when contacted by the M.E.N but is said to be challenging the decision. 2023 BBC. The official opposition is the Green Party with three councillors. Wednesday's indictment of Los Angeles City Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas makes him the third current or former L.A. councilmember to face . Report of: Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer / Head of Internal Audit and Risk Management Summary It is the role of the Audit Committee "to obtain assurance over the Council's corporate governance and risk management arrangements, the control environment and associated anti-fraud and anti-corruption arrangements". La Liga's condemnation of City and PSG will therefore be viewed in that context. Councilwoman Melissa Hardy . The people of Liverpool deserve better we might not like our politicians but we need to be able to trust them, he said on Friday. A massive fraud scheme spanning some three years at the Manchester Municipal Corporation has this afternoon resulted in the conviction of 5 persons including former local government officials. Theyre toxic, even today. The corporation was previously called the Manchester Parish Council. A club transformed by lavish investment in part to promote the emirate of Abu Dhabi on the world stage is damaged by deceptions in the. He was deputed from his duties for Sheikh Mohammed to run City shortly after Mansour bought the club, to shape a more dignified direction after the initial frenzy of media coverage which was all about money and considered detrimental by the Abu Dhabi establishment. Qx=-PDVYxVN0oeBuUL1+rbM_a[e,X~t" "\${ +3]fcuszvyuMLLoRhh~19vjsum]J2o, u@#@;UN [~k@FX5x-C1?$[z}bEommQQ0*zaV0,Q?g2QXnB2 ~sr)g-xV0, VO8]pj$nCfRb3._gxY{Z13qr[Fahy&HwH$|`|PTz^79hQ achieving an annual profit in each of the past four years of accounts, developing a respected youth system, and regenerating parts of east Manchester. A council chief has been sacked following an investigation into alleged corruption. t 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. Mitch Englander: Envelopes Of Cash And A Guilty Plea. Such a shift in six weeks time would bring to an end Labours longest continuous period in power since the second world war. 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Elliot and his co-conspirators Harris and Roberts were also found guilty of an act of corruption. 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 squad and incoming transfers, that the club were found to have breached the FFP rules. Mubarak is the chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, a strategic government body responsible for advising on Abu Dhabi's international image. "All men are born free, equal and independent of each other," Hunt had declared before the forces charged. A report to the Labour-run council said while government funding for 2022/23 was . An officer has been suspended while we carry out our investigation. La Liga are leading the calls for a fresh investigation. An engineer who studied at the University of Colorado and lived in the US for seven years, when Mansoor returned to his native UAE he found itslack of democracy and freedom of speech stifling. 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. La Liga are leading the calls for a fresh investigation into City's finances, threatening to lodge a complaint with the EU competition authorities. It made me cry when I read the report, said Jayne Casey, one of the citys most influential cultural figures. I must admit - Nicky Butt concedes he was wrong about Manchester United hero Casemiro. "There is insufficient evidence that a multiparty system works in the Arab world," Gargashsaid. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Feedback submitted to us on this form is monitored but you wont receive a reply. The five are expected to be sentenced on Monday, July 27. In May 2017, he was appointed as deputy mayor of Greater Manchester under the leadership of Mr Burnham. 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. members' interests and members' allowances. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. The trial before the Manchester Parish Court started last year. Ann Marie Grainger, Parish Judge, speaking today while delivering the verdict via live audio stream. It does not store any personal data. 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. What is certain is that this story has once again highlighted the challenge that 'the authorities' - regulators like Uefa - face when dealing with their clubs. It is led by Sir Richard Leese. The council is controlled by the Labour Party and led by Bev Craig. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Thursday, March 2, 2023. Remember that as far back as 2014, Uefa had concerns over the value of City's shirt and stadium sponsorship with airline Etihad, and deals from image rights and intellectual property. Amnesty said the trial showed "a deeply flawed judicial system" at odds with the "global image the UAE likes to project of itself as an efficient, forward-thinking country, which in many ways it is". Its a city that was standing on the world stage. "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. 0:00. In huge whiteletters on a sky blue background, it says: "MANCHESTER THANKS YOU, SHEIKH MANSOUR. A few weeks later, the city was targeted by a suicide bomber who killed 22 people at a concert in Manchester Arena. 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. The UAE authorities have maintained there was due process and a fair trial. As reported in the M.E.N. 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. In 1999, after 14 years on the Dallas City Council, Lipscomb was indicted and convicted on 65 counts of bribery, including . One News Page. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". He pointed to "gradual" reforms including "limited" elections of the Federal National Council, a consultative body, of which half the members are selected by the regime, half elected by a minority of the Emirati population. "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.". A building firm is helping with a council corruption probe following the suspension of a town hall boss. The hearing to hand down a verdict in the 4-hundred million-dollar fraud scheme was streamed live today with Parish Judge, Ann Marie Grainger delivering the judgment. You can agree with the principle of FFP or reject it. 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. Former [] As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Professor Munroe says hes confident that todays verdict will have a positive impact on Jamaicas standing on the Corruption Perception Index. Terry Burke, Manchester town halls head of corporate technical services, was suspended on full pay in August 2012. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. That does not suggest a governing body that is too bothered about getting tough. 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. The allegations were brought to light by a town hall whistleblower. Council chief executive Joanne Roney described him as "a towering figure". 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. 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. The games boosted the city's international profile and kick-started the transformation of East Manchester, involving the construction of the stadium which is now home to Manchester City FC. In an emergency, visit our emergency contact details page. Manchester council has launched an investigation and called in the police after allegations were made against its head of corporate technical services, Terry Burke. The Constitution is made up of seven parts: If you require any help or advice on the Constitution please contact us at
[email protected].