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An anti-Ulez protester is suspected to be behind the “scam” that saw Sir Sadiq Khan convicted and fined over an untaxed Nissan Micra.
City Hall sources told The Standard there was a “big increase” in the number of vehicles being falsely registered to the Mayor of London around the time of the low emission zone being expanded to cover the entire capital in August 2023.
In a criminal prosecution processed by the DVLA in Norwich, Sir Sadiq was found guilty by a magistrate last month of keeping an unlicensed vehicle.
But he has insisted that the 24-year-old blue Micra does not belong to either him or Transport for London (TfL).
A spokesman for the Mayor said: “This is a scam, which is a crime. It’s not the first time the Mayor has been victim of a scam involving people falsely stating that Sadiq is the owner of a vehicle.
“Such behaviour is illegal, and the DVLA are aware.”
He added that the DVLA was “urgently looking at getting the case reopened and with a view to withdrawing the prosecution”.
The organisation will also investigate the false registration.
It is understood that vehicles have been registered to Sir Sadiq on several other occasions since 2023, but this is the first time a case has reached court.
A magistrate, sitting in a private hearing of the Single Justice Procedure in Herefordshire, convicted the Mayor in his absence and ordered that he pay a £220 fine, £85 in costs, and settle the £35.84 bill for unpaid tax on the Micra.
Court documents show that DVLA letters addressed to the Mayor about the unpaid car tax bill were sent to Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen, Bar and Rooftop in Stratford, instead of the nearby TfL offices.
The restaurant is based at 9 Endeavour Square, while TfL is based on the 9th floor of number 5 Endeavour Square.
Source: Read the original article on www.standard.co.uk
Written by https://futureknowledge.in/
