Ex-councillor accused of vote rigging

A jury at Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that 63-year-old Mohammed Saghir had been acting as his son's campaign manager during the local elections in May 2008 when he allegedly filled out proxy vote application forms for five unsuspecting voters.

Saghir, of Gibbet Street, Pellon, Halifax, has gone on trial in his absence after Judge James Spencer QC told the jury he had "chosen not to come".

The court heard Saghir, a former Conservative councillor in Halifax, was working as an election agent for his son Shakar, who was standing as an independent candidate in the Park ward in the town back in 2008.

Prosecutor Nicholas Barker said the alleged offences came to light after the principal election officer for Calderdale Council Linda Clarkson became suspicious about similar looking signatures on five proxy vote application forms.

He said a prosecution handwriting expert would say there was "moderate support" for the conclusion that Mohammed Saghir had written the forms.

Saghir, who is closely associated with Kasmir Foundation or Kashmir Centre in Gibbet Street, Halifax, claimed it was normal election practice for him and his agents to complete proxy vote forms and for himself and members of his family to be selected to cast votes for others.

Saghir suggested however he had been tricked by others who had come to the Kashmir Centre with false proxy forms.

But Mr Barker alleged Saghir, of Gibbet Street, Pellon, had sought to obtain the votes of other people without their consent and the obvious inference was that he was intending for those votes to be cast to the advantage of his son.

Saghir has denied five charges of applying for a proxy vote as some other person.

In a defence statement submitted on Saghir's behalf in November last year he denied filling in any of the forms and suggested he was a victim of a political plot.

The trial continues.