The British National Party's candidate for mayor of Liverpool has been arrested on suspicion faking signatures on his nomination papers.
Mike Whitby, who is on Thursday's ballot paper for the directly-elected post, was held by police at his home in north Wales on Monday.
Detectives arrived at the house at 7.30am but the candidate refused to co-operate and officer were unable to detain him until around six hours later, the Press Association reported.
Merseyside Police said he remains in custody being questioned over alleged electoral fraud by making false statements and faking signatures on nomination election papers.
Detective Superintendent Martin Andrew, of Merseyside Police, said: "Following an allegation that nomination forms for the mayoral elections had been fraudulently filled in, a police investigation was launched.
"Officers conducted extensive inquiries in the Wavertree area of Liverpool over the weekend and interviewed a significant number of people.
"Following those inquiries and after taking advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, Merseyside police officers attended an address in the Wrexham area of North Wales at 7.30am today to speak to the homeowner about the allegations.
"My officers made repeated attempts to speak to the occupant and, at around 1.30pm today, they arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of making false statements and faking signatures on nomination election papers - an offence under Section 65A of the Representation of the People Act.
"The man was taken to a police station in Wrexham where he was interviewed about the allegations.
"He currently remains in police custody."
The complaint was made to Merseyside Police following an investigation by the Liverpool Echo which reported alleged irregularities in Mr Whitby's nomination papers.
A BNP spokesman said Whitby denies the allegations and stands by the names on his nomination form.
He added: "Mike and his wife went to every single one of those people and explained who he was and what he stands for.
"What we have here is a newspaper trying to scupper an election campaign."
There are a total of 12 candidates for mayor in Liverpool this Thursday, including Labour leader Joe Anderson and Liberal Democrat Richard Kemp.
Tony Caldeira is the Conservative candidate. Steve Radford from the Liberal Party and John Coyne for the Green Party are also standing.
Could be true but who knows. I hope the allegations prove false for the sake of Nationalism. If so Whitby wants to sue for malicious prosecution/interfering with Elections etc.
Or it could be his socialist proclivities shining through to balls something else up in Nationalism.
We shall wait and see.
3 comments:
I have had various issues with Mike Whitby in the past but this much publicised arrest seems to me to be politically motivated.
I have not heard of any arrests of muslims electoral fraud although some are being investigated.
No doubt action if any will wait until after the elections and the aims of these aliens realised.
Also the police in Liverpool are known for their anti BNP attitude as in their having to pay the "Liverpool Thirteen" compensation for wrongful arrest a few years ago.
These PC police will do all they can to attack nationalists.
It could mean a nice pay out to Mike if his arrest is found to be unlawful.
I hope so.
I hope it is nothing not just for Whitbys sake but for the Nationalism too.
It would look bad on the Police and I suppose Whitby could go to the ECHR and sue the Police for stamping on his Human Rights. Liverpool old bill are no friends of Nationalism that's for sure and I'm pretty sure Whitby wouldn't be so daft as to forge the signature of someone he does not know too well, or would he ?
Not everyone who joins the BNP do so to push it forward.
This stinks of Labour/police interfearance in the political process again.
I have no faith that Mike will get a fair hearing, and if found not guilty he will have his name dragged through the mud.
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