The Metropolitan Police has ended its investigation into what was reported as “a serious allegation” against a senior London Assembly Member, with no charges or further action to be taken, lawyers acting for Unmesh Desai have said today.
Police inquiry: Unmesh Desai, here with Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, says he was under police investigation since December
Desai, the London Assembly Member for The City and East London, remains suspended by the Labour Party, at least, that is, until the party’s bureaucrats manage to revisit the complaint that led to his suspension.
Desai continues to serve as an Assembly Member but sits as an independent, after Labour at City Hall withdrew the whip from him earlier this week.
Desai, a member of the London Assembly since 2016, had been Labour’s City Hall spokesperson on policing and crime.
According to a statement by Desai, the police investigation began in December.
In the statement issued to Inside Croydon, Desai said: “I cooperated fully with this police investigation. I answered all of the police questions in interview, maintaining my innocence without any legal advice.” Desai is a lawyer by profession.
The Metropolitan Police advised Desai late yesterday that he was no longer under investigation.
Suspended: Unmesh Desai’s London Assembly webpage was altered earlier this week to show him as an ‘independent’
“I have been informed that police are taking no further action in my case,” Desai said in his statement.
“I have always maintained my faith in our system of justice, and in the Metropolitan Police.”
The Assembly Member, who receives a publicly funded salary of £64,331, said that he had “been saddened” that news of the police investigation had been reported “before I was ever charged with any offence”.
He said: “It is not right that my name has been tarnished in this way.”
Desai made no comment about his having had the Labour whip withdrawn.
The Labour Party has been approached for comment, but had not responded by the time of publication.
Read more: News black-out after Labour Party suspends Assembly Member
FREE ADS: Paid-up subscribers to Inside Croydon qualify for a free ad for their business, residents’ association or community group, just one of the benefits of being part of our online community. For more information about being an iC subscriber, click here for our Patreon page
PAID ADS: To advertise your services or products to our near 10,000 weekday visitors to the site, as featured on Google News Showcase, email us inside.croydon@btinternet.com for our unbeatable ad rates
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
As featured on Google News Showcase
- Our comments section on every report provides all readers with an immediate “right of reply” on all our content. Our comments policy can be read by clicking here
Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network
