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A "schedule of allegations" published separately from the main LDA review includes new information about Diversity International and Brixton Base. It leaves Ken Livingstone and the LDA deeply embarrassed by their denials about the projects.
On Diversity International, run by a close friend of Lee Jasper, Joel O'Loughlin, the Mayor accused the Standard of "distortion and manipulation" for reporting that the LDA offered Mr O'Loughlin £250,000 and a consultancy in spite of a record of irregularities. But the schedule states "an in-principle agreement was reached for the LDA to pay Diversity International £250,000 and a £35,000 per annum consultancy".
Brixton Base, whose patron and "champion" is Lee Jasper and whose director is his close friend Errol Walters, received £535,000 from the LDA over two years to start a "creative training hub." But in that time it ran only three short courses.
From the LDA grant, £287,000 was paid for "premises" even though Brixton Base occupied an LDA-owned building. The premises money was paid to Brixton Base which was supposed to pay it straight back to the LDA as rent. However, more than a year ago, says the schedule, Brixton Base stopped paying. It owes the LDA £191,243 in rent - something Mr Livingstone failed to mention when he said the project was in good shape.
He has claimed our reporting on Brixton Base is a "tissue of lies" and says there is a "full audit trail" on the project with "chapter and verse on how the money's been spent". The schedule, however, makes clear that Brixton Base's LDA grants were suspended in June last year - six months before Mr Livingstone denied there was a problem. More funding was refused due to "concerns in respect of the rent arrears and the submission of [an] audited statement of grant expenditure".
The schedule makes clear that no audit of Brixton Base has been completed. When it is, says the main report, the project may become the fifth LDA grant involving Mr Jasper's friends or associates to be referred to police.
Reader views (1)
Ah well! If Ken won't support an independent investigation then we will have to ask Boris to do it for us.
- John Of Enfield, London GB, 14/01/2008 14:11
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