The Telegraph issues apology to businessman who bought Poplar Town Hall

The Telegraph has issued an apology to a local businessman, Mujibul Islam after accusing him of corruption during the Tower Hamlets Mayor scandal.

An article was published during the time four residents, who did not like the result of the Tower Hamlets mayoral election took ex-Mayor Lutfur Rahman to an election court, who then found him guilty of corruption.

The ex-Mayor Lutfur Rahman still denies claims of corruption, he was cleared for electoral fraud by police.

During The Telegraph’s coverage of Luftur Rahman, the former mayor of Tower Hamlets, they reported on the sale of Poplar Town Hall to a company controlled by Mr. Islam and the subsequent granting of planning permission to change it in to a hotel.

After false reporting on the matter, The Telegraph apologised for writing articles suggesting that Mr. Islam was a ‘willing beneficiary’ of corruption regarding the sale of Poplar Town Hall.

The Telegraph, now proven wrong, have retracted their comments and accept that Mujibul Islam’s bid for the Town Hall was on the open market and did not manipulate the planning process. They have apologised to Mr Islam and have agreed to pay him damages and costs.

The Town Hall was built in the 1850s as the Poplar Board of Works. It secured its place in British political history when radical Labour councillors led by George Lansbury staged a rates rebellion against collecting tolls for the London County Council that put them in prison.

We have asked our current Mayor, Tower Hamlets MP’s and the leader of the opposition for comment but they have not got back to us.