Housing fraud trial: Labour MP Apsana Begum found not guilty
Jurors today found Apsana Begum, Labour MP for Poplar and Limehouse, not guilty of three charges of dishonestly failing to disclose information relating to her social housing application.
Ms Begum, 31, had been accused of withholding her true living conditions from Tower Hamlets council officials in an attempt to secure a social housing flat. The three charges related to three separate periods between January 2013 and March 2016.
On receiving the verdict, Ms Begum wept in the dock, and issued a statement afterwards describing the “great distress” the trial had caused her.
“This case has been driven by malicious intent and has caused me great distress and damage to my reputation,” the statement read.
“I would like to say a sincere thank you to all my legal team and all those who have shown me solidarity, support and kindness.
“As a survivor of domestic abuse facing these vexatious charges, the last 18 months of false accusations, online sexist, racist, and Islamophobic abuse, and threats to my safety, have been exceedingly difficult.
Ms Begum was elected to parliament in the 2019 general election with a 28,904 majority and now sits on the Commons’ education committee.
Tower Hamlets Council brought the prosecution against her, claiming that Begum cost them £63,928 as she retained her “high-priority” housing status.
“I would now like to get on with my job of representing my constituents – opposing the negligent Covid decisions made by (Prime Minister Boris) Johnson’s reckless Tory Government which has caused so many families to lose loved ones who should still be with us today and so much hardship that could have been avoided,” Begum’s statement added.