UNDERFIRE Oldbury Councillor Mahboob Hussain has been found to have breached Sandwell Council’s code of conduct following allegations of improper behaviour.

The authority’s standards committee concluded that the former deputy leader broke rules regarding his involvement in the sales of council-owned toilet blocks and the reduction and cancellation of parking tickets handed to his family members.

A three-day hearing, which heard the Wragge report accusations, has been ongoing at the Council House since Monday – despite a last ditch attempt by the councillor to postpone the proceedings on the grounds of ill health.

The misconduct hearing went ahead in the absence of Cllr Hussain after standards committee members concluded they had “no confidence” in him ever appearing.

Cllr Hussain – who has always denied any wrongdoing – was initially due to appear before the authority's standards committee in 2016 before the councillor’s High Court legal challenges.

But in June 2017, Mr Justice Green said the allegations against Cllr Hussain should now be investigated properly by the council.

After multiple delays, the hearing eventually began on Monday, with James Goudie QC, investigating officer, outlining the facts of the case, which included hundreds of pages of evidence and witness statements.

During the hearing, it was claimed by council officers that in 2012 Cllr Hussain “pushed the sale through” of three public toilet blocks for £35,000 to an associate, despite the land – which was set to go to a public auction the following month – being independently valued at £130,000.

Cllr Hussain had claimed in an interview given to the council’s legal officer Maria Price that he barely knew the buyer of the land and was not related to him, despite revelations that the buyer was the uncle of five of Cllr Hussain’s grandchildren.

The authority’s chief executive Jan Britton said he had felt “misled” by Cllr Hussain as he claimed the councillor had initially told him he had “no relationship whatsoever” with the buyer.

Witnesses David Willetts and Kerry Jones, council officers at the time of the toilet blocks sale, both accused Cllr Hussain of pressuring them to proceed with the deal.

Mr Willetts, who left the authority three years ago, said: “Cllr Hussain’s usual approach was friendly – not aggressive – but there was a constant reminder of his status and power.”

It was also alleged by Mr Goudie that Cllr Hussain “used his influence” as a councillor to reduce the fine of one parking ticket issued to his son and cancel two others issued to his wife and another one of his sons.

But in his interview with Ms Price, Cllr Hussain said he never made any contact with council officers regarding the tickets issued to his sons, but he did represent his wife “as a councillor”.

After deliberation, the committee concluded that Cllr Hussain had breached the council’s code of conduct regarding both the toilet block and parking ticket allegations.

James Cornwell, the council’s legal officer, said the committee will release a full decision notice “as soon as is reasonably practicable”.

Committee members will also now have to decide on whether action will be taken against the councillor.