Five people have been arrested as part of a police investigation into allegations that fake independent candidates were used to influence the outcome of a local election in Tameside.
Greater Manchester police said four men and a woman, aged between 23 and 47, were arrested on suspicion of fraud offences on Thursday morning in the Ashton-under-Lyne area.
The force said the arrests related to the “process of how candidates were put forward and represented in the ward, and if this adhered to the relevant legislation and electoral procedures”.
The Mill, a Manchester-based publication, had investigated claims that individuals were encouraged to stand as independent candidates in the St Peter’s ward election in May to split opposition votes and benefit Labour.
Atta Ul-Rasool, the Labour candidate, won the St Peter’s ward seat with 177 votes more than Ahmed Mehmood, an independent candidate, and was the only Labour candidate to win a seat in Tameside.
Two other independent candidates, Marie Fairhurst and Muhammad Ali, received a combined 291 votes. The Mill reported that both candidates had little visible campaign presence and did not respond to attempts to contact them during the election campaign.
After the result, the Tameside Correspondent reported that Fairhurst said she had not been aware she was standing as a candidate.
Kaleel Khan, a councillor who managed Mehmood’s campaign, told the Mill he intended to challenge the election result at Tameside council.
No charges have been brought. The police investigation continues.
