Paul Moore: Yorkshire Labour councillor suspended after facing fraud charges in court

Councillor Paul Moore, who was elected to serve the Dewsbury East ward for Kirklees Council at last year’s local elections, has been charged with causing a public nuisance and carrying on a business with the intent to defraud creditors or for other fraudulent reasons.

The councillor is one of five people facing charges in relation to Dewsbury-based business RT Diagnostics. The company has been accused of misleading customers and ringing a customer late at night to pressure them into removing a negative review from a website, amongst other offences.

The Labour Party confirmed Moore has been administratively suspended from the party, pending investigations, but would not confirm the reason for this. Moore remains a member of Kirklees Council’s Labour group who declined to comment.

Another of the five people implicated is Shahid Malik, a former MP for Dewsbury who also served as the Justice Minister under Gordon Brown’s government. Also accused are Lynn Connell, 62, of Ash Hall, Ripponden, Faisal Shoukat, 36, from Saville Park, Halifax and Alexander Zarneh, 69, of Wood Lane in Hipperholme.

The case was brought before Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (April 25), but the court was told that the case could only be heard by the Crown Court due to its severity. The trial will now take place on Thursday, May 23 at Bradford Crown Court.

Moore and Malik gave no indication of their pleas at the Magistrates’ hearing but Connell, Shoukat and Zarneh pleaded not guilty.

A spokesperson for Kirklees Council said: “We have been informed that Cllr Paul Moore has been administratively suspended from the Labour party. He remains a member of the council’s Labour Group. As legal proceedings are ongoing, the council is unable to comment further.”