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Warrant for guilty Saghir
A FORMER Calderdale Conservative councillor has been found guilty of election fraud at Bradford Crown Court.
Mohammed Saghir, 63, of Gibbet Street, Halifax, applied for five proxy votes in other people's names in the May 2008 local election.
A person can apply for a proxy vote if they are on the electoral roll but cannot attend the polling station.
Instead another named person can attend to cast their vote.
Saghir filled out five applications for proxy votes for registered voters who had all moved out of Park ward.
Abdul Qureshi and his wife who moved from Thrum Hall Drive, Halifax, in November 2005 said they did not fill out the forms which contained incorrect dates of birth.
Saghir, who did not attend court for his trial, is thought to be in Pakistan. His son, Shakar, was standing as an independent candidate in the election.
He denied the offences and said it was an attempt by his rivals to discredit him.
Suspicions were raised after Linda Clarkson, the principal electoral officer for Calderdale Council, noticed five similar signatures on electoral applications.
Saghir was arrested the night before the election.
The jury took three hours to find him guilty on all charges.
Judge James Spencer issued a warrant for his arrest.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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