Following last Friday’s resignations from Sandwell’s cabinet, the council’s ruling body, there was an uneasy atmosphere at Tuesday’s full council meeting.
Labour Councillor Mahboob Hussain, once a dominatingly powerful figure on Sandwell council and a deputy leader of the council was made by functionaries to leave his former seat of power and sit on the back row of the council chamber, where he seemed distinctly ill at ease.
Cllr. Hussein has, since October, been the subject of a police investigation arising out of sale of council land to one of his sons. At the time of the sale, Cllr Hussein was Chairman of the Land Disposals committee. In September 2014 Cllr. Hussain apologised after failing to declare an interest in a taxi firm which won a lucrative contract from Sandwell council claiming a “mistake”.
He was joined by Cllr. Ian Jones who also resigned from Sandwell’s cabinet last Friday. The cause of his departure is, presently, unclear but is said to have been the result of internal complaints by council officers.