More evidence has emerged linking a Liverpool politician to a stalled site on the edge of the city centre.
Last month the ECHO revealed how councillor Abdul Qadir was linked to a large residential development scheme on Vauxhall Road in Vauxhall. The scheme has not been completed.
Cllr Qadir was linked to the site through his directorship with Vega Trading. The company belongs to the Vega Group, which owns MV Canal, the subsidiary company behind the scheme on Vauxhall Road.
READ MORE: Pictures show state of stalled scheme which should have been major apartment development
Cllr Qadir resigned from his role as cabinet lead for neighbourhoods following revelations in the ECHO about his links to the Vega Group. However at the time Cllr Qadir told the ECHO his sole role with the company was to oversee imports and exports.
However the ECHO can now reveal that Cllr Qadir's signature is on the lease between MV Canal and Liverpool Council. The lease was signed by Sami Labidi, who owns the company. Cllr Qadir witnessed Mr Labidi's signature.
According to the lease MV Canal agreed to repair and refurbish the premises within 24 months of the date of the lease (July 26 2016) to the satisfaction of the council and in accordance with plans to be approved by the local authority. There is an obligation on the company to keep any open space in a clean and tidy condition.
Last month Cllr Qadir told the ECHO that his role was to manage imports and exports with Vega Trading, and that his role with other parts of the group were extremely limited. This was after the ECHO revealed links between Cllr Qadir and MV Canal, the company behind a stalled stile on Vauxhall Road.
Cllr Qadir signed the Section 106 agreement between MV Canal and Liverpool Council as a witness. At one point a council officer emailed Cllr Qadir in February 2018 advising him that MV Canal owed the local authority a Section 106 payment ( money paid by developers to benefit the community) worth £57,000.
Cllr Qadir's association with the Vega Group is long standing. He has been a director of Vega Trading since September 2014. Vega Trading, the company Cllr Qadir works for, helped finance MV Canal with a number of large loans worth £250,000.
Last week disturbing photographs emerged showing conditions inside the MV Canal site on Vauxhall Road, which appeared to have been used as a fly tipping spot. Owner Sami Labidi told the ECHO that he was working to tidy up the site as soon as was possible. Mr Labidi had previously said that the site stalled following the death of his father.
Cllr Qadir was a member of a Liverpool council taskforce set up to investigate buyer-funded property schemes in the city, known as fractional sales. Following revelations in the Liverpool ECHO Cllr Richard Kemp put in a formal complaint about his conduct to the city solicitor. Cllr Kemp felt that Cllr Qadir's links to a major stalled site in the city should have prevented him from sitting on the taskforce.
Cllr Qadir resigned as Mayor Joanne Anderson's cabinet lead for neighbourhoods days after the ECHO revealed his links to the Vega Group.
He said at the time: "I believe that our city and its image are more important than any individual, including myself. For me, our city and its residents will always be my highest priority and must be protected. In discussion with Mayor Joanne Anderson, I am taking a conscious decision to put the interest of our city and its residents ahead of my feelings, interest and my politics.
"Therefore I have decided to step aside as Cabinet member for Neighbourhoods and allow for a full independent investigation to take its course without any influence or distraction. I will accept and abide by the outcomes or any recommendations from the investigation."
A spokesman for Liverpool City Council told the ECHO that the formal complaint made by Cllr Kemp about Cllr Qadir was 'proceeding.' Cllr Qadir said that he was unable to comment due to the council led investigation into the matter.
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