Apsana Begum: Labour MP says she will ‘vigorously’ fight case after being charged with fraud over council flat claim
East London MP says allegations against her are ‘malicious and false’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Labour MP who has been charged with fraud has said she will “vigorously” contest the allegations made against her.
Apsana Begum, the MP for Poplar and Limehouse in east London, has been charged with “dishonestly failing to disclose information in order to make gains for herself or another, or expose another to a loss” on three separate occasions, according to a court official.
Ms Begum, who won her seat in last year's general election, said in a statement that she "vigorously contests these malicious and false allegations".
The three charges against her are dated between 18 January 2013 and 31 March 2016.
A court official said it was alleged that Ms Begum failed to tell Tower Hamlets Council that she was “no longer living in overcrowded conditions”.
“The council takes housing fraud very seriously,” a Tower Hamlets Council spokesperson said.
“It would be inappropriate for us to comment on any specific allegations, but the public can be confident that any concerns are investigated by an experienced team, in line with our procedures.”
The charges against Ms Begum followed newspaper reports last year which claimed she was being investigated over whether she had wrongly secured a council flat.
It was reported that she had left her husband’s residence and moved into a flat in her local area soon afterwards.
Investigators were reportedly trying to establish how she had moved to the top of an 18,000-person waiting list so quickly.
Ms Begum, who sits on the Commons Education Committee, entered parliament with a 28,904 vote majority in the 2019 general election, beating five other candidates to win her seat.
She has notably spoken in parliament about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on low-income families and ethnic minorities in the UK.
The MP is due to appear at Thames Magistrates' Court on 10 December.
Additional reporting by PA
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.