A total of 12 people, including the former Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson, have been charged with offences related to bribery and misconduct over the awarding of contracts from Liverpool city council between 2010 and 2020.
Anderson, who stood down in 2021 after he was arrested, is charged with one count of bribery, one count of misconduct in a public office and one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office.
His co-defendants include Derek Hatton, the former deputy leader of Liverpool council, Nicholas Kavanagh, a former council director of regeneration, and Andrew Barr, a former assistant director at the council.
Hatton became a national figure in the 1980s when his council defied Margaret Thatcher’s budget cuts. He later had a career in property development. He is charged with one count of bribery and one count of counselling or procuring misconduct in a public office.
Others charged under Operation Aloft include Julian and Paul Flanagan, the founders of the Liverpool building company the Flanagan Group, who are both accused of bribery.
Joe Anderson’s son David Anderson, a Liverpool businessman, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office. Sonjia Hatton, Derek Hatton’s wife, who previously worked as a planning officer at the council, is charged with misconduct in a public office.
Other defendants include Phillipa Cook, Alex Croft, Adam McClean and James Shalliker, all of whom run or ran businesses in Liverpool.
Joe Anderson has previously denied the claims, criticising the length of the investigation, which began in 2020, and saying in 2024 he was “determined to clear my name”. Both he and David were refused a judicial review in 2021 against Merseyside police over the lawfulness of their arrests.
Robin Weyell, the deputy chief crown prosecutor, said: “The CPS has reviewed a full file of evidence from the Merseyside police and has authorised the investigation team to charge 12 people with 12 offences related to bribery and misconduct in public office.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are now active and that they have a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Since the arrests in Operation Aloft, Liverpool council said it had put in place a new code of conduct and training for elected members and officers.
The 12 defendants are due to appear at Preston magistrates court on Friday 28 March.
Source: www.theguardian.com