Applicant for private hire licence convicted of trying to bribe council official

A man who tried to bribe a council licensing officer has been convicted of an offence under the Bribery Act 2010.

On 5 October 2011 an officer from Oldham Council accompanied Mawia Mushtaq – of St Thomas Street North, Oldham – on a driving test for a private hire licence.

When Mushtaq was told that he had failed, he asked the officer to pass him and offered £200 or £300 to change the result.

The officer reported the incident to his manager at Oldham, who passed the information to the police.

A jury at Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester unanimously convicted Mushtaq of a Bribery Act offence. The Act came into force in July 2011.

The defendant was sentenced by His Honour Judge Foster QC to two months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.

The judge also imposed a two-month curfew order between 6pm and 6am.

Cllr Jean Stretton, Oldham’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Devolved Services, said: “First of all I’d like to congratulate the officer involved for their honesty and integrity in reporting this illegal approach.

“This conviction should send out a clear message that Oldham Council will not tolerate attempts to bribe officers into issuing licences under any circumstances.”