Cllr Mohammad Rouf - An Oasis at The Midnight

I hate it when people have a go at "the unemployed". Many of us have faced periods of unemployment in our lives - often through no fault of our own (though the opposite often applied in my case!) People often accuse the unemployed of fecklessness whereas many continue to work tirelessly for their local communities.

Sandwell Labour's Councillor Rouf is one such. Here is the most recent Register of Interests from as recently as 13th November, 2014.

"DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTERESTS

1. Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain (Including employment outside of the Borough of Sandwell).

None"

Mind you, it seems Cllr Rouf has had a touch of what is known locally as "Hussain's Disease" where a person appears physically and mentally healthy but has a tendency to "forget" important details about their life history. 

Thus in previous blogs, for example, I have referred to the discrepancy between Rouf's legal statements to the Council that he was "unemployed" (whilst holding a Birmingham City Council private hire taxi licence until 12th January, 2015) whilst as recently as 14th August, 2014 he was making legal declarations to Companies House that he was, in fact, "self-employed".

My Smethwick informants told me, however, that rather than sitting on his backside watching Jeremy Kyle etc the unemployed Rouf works tirelessly for the Midnight Pharmacy on Shireland Road, Smethwick. Rouf opens up each morning, serves customers all day AND delivers prescriptions. I was told that such is his diligence that he opens the shop at exactly 8.45 am each day.

And so, dear readers, I found myself in Smethwick on 16th January, 2015 and at 8.45 am PRECISELY a black C-class Mercedes parked behind the building and Mr Rouf got out and proceeded to open the shop. Just as well since although the pharmacy does not officially open until 9.00 am,  at 8.49 Rouf took a delivery from AAH Pharmeuticals and two customers appeared.

I had some other research to do for this blog and went off, returning at 9.15 am. By this time Rouf had been joined by another member of staff. My plan was to go for some breakfast but I was so concerned that I might come into contact with the canine faecal material which, according to Sandwell's moronic "leader", lies in huge quantities around Smethwick and other areas of the Borough that I went in and bought this:

I was not offered a till receipt for my cash purchase.

Happily I was able to have a chat with Councillor Rouf himself! Although I had not asked, Cllr Rouf told me that the shop belongs to one of his sons and that he just "helped out" occasionally. I asked him if this was "voluntary work" and he replied in the affirmative. People tell me that this "work" has been going on for a long time but that cannot be correct since Rouf didn't mention it in his Register entry of 25th September, 2014 (although did refer to doing "occasional" unpaid work at the pharmacy in his revised entry of 13th November, 2014)!

Surely, the good citizens of Smethwick may wish to recognise Rouf's social work with some sort of community award?

I liked Mohammad. He seemed a humble, down-to-earth sort of chap. I took the opportunity to ask him when he would be moving into the seven-bedroom mansion nearing completion just round the corner from the pharmacy on Florence Road but he assured me that HE wouldn't be moving in. He confirmed that he would prefer to stay in his terraced Council house in Trafalgar Road. What a guy!

(Happily, Rouf's Labour comrades together with officers of Sandwell Council rallied round and made sure he went to the top of the list for the Council house in Trafalgar Road when he sold the property he already owned in Wellington Road for just £125,000).

Rouf told me that only one of his sons and his "large" family would be moving in to the seven-bedroom Rouf Hall:

As at 16th January, 2015 - Rouf Hall nears completion

That will be a tremendous relief as the brand new Electoral Register shows that the son in question, Mohammad Shauib and what Rouf says is his "large family", are apparently all cooped up in the flat above the barbers in Shireland Road:

What was Rouf's Interest in this Property?

Not only that but the Electoral Register also shows that one of Rouf's other sons - the one who IS a pharmacist - Mohammad Javed - is also living there even though he co-owns a property in Station Road, Stechford (which address he used on a planning application to, er, Sandwell Council).

As stated in an earlier blog Mohammed Shauib is the legal owner of the barbers and flat above since 2005 and yet Councillor Rouf stated in a legal declaration to Sandwell Council of 2008 that HE retained an unspecified beneficial interest in the property. Doubtless the officers of Sandwell Council who let him jump straight into a council house satisfied themselves that he had disposed of this (and the money he received for the disposal of his interest).

But Sandwell Council do not just piss on us and tell us its raining - they even do it do poor old Spellar MP. Many local residents were unhappy at the huge Rouf Hall rising next to their traditional terraced houses and some complained to Spellar. The MP duly wrote to the Council and the Chief Executive of Sandwell no less, the independently-minded "Giant Amoeba" Jan Britton, replied. Clearly a public school educated person like Spellar, inculcated with notions of fair play, believed what he was being told and duly wrote to concerned residents on House of Commons notepaper dated 14th November, 2014:

"I enclose a copy of his [Britton's] reply and as you will see because of the investigations that are taking place at the moment involving the Council and the police they are unable to access the files until such time as the investigations have been completed".

(These being the investigations presumably that uber-thicko "Leader", Darren "The Turdmeister" Cooper claims do not exist.)

Couldn't be much clearer could it readers? Exactly the same reason has been given by Britton and Co to refuse to reply to my Freedom of Information requests regarding the land sales to Labour's Deputy Leader Hussain's son and to Councillor Bawa. But wait - what's this? Within a fortnight the decisive Chief Executive changed tack completely. Even though the files are in "lock-down" it would actually be unlawful NOT to convey Rouf Hall to, er, Rouf's son! Here is the actual relevant part of Britton's letter dated 28th November - just 14 days after Spellar's effort:

"I can advise that whilst the initial land disposal process is currently under investigation the prospective purchaser is legally required through a separate and independent Building Agreement to continue with the development. Mr Shauib is obligated under the terms of the Agreement to complete the development within a certain timeframe and in accordance with the requisite planning permission obtained. Consequently, a licence to occupy the land for the purpose of construction is currently in operation and as you are no doubt aware the building is now nearing completion. A Practical Completion Certificate is to be issued to the Council and will hopefully confirm that the development conforms with the Agreement. Once the Council is satisfied that the Building Agreement has been complied with THE LAND WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO MR SHAUIB. I understand there are AT PRESENT no legal grounds for the Council to intervene and stop the development and if they did this would be in breach of the Building Agreement and liable to claims against the Council."

So up yours Spellar, local residents and the people of Sandwell!

Presumably The Amoeba wrote this having consulted with Sandwell's highly-paid lawyer, Neeraj Sharma, so it must be right!

It is indeed fortuitous that the original land deal was completely above board following open competition and that it was entirely coincidental that the purchaser, Shauib, happens to be Rouf's son. It is also gratifying that Shauib himself has the wherewithal to build a seven bedroom house on the vacant plot.

Good luck to 'em I say. With all Rouf's voluntary work for the community it's only what they deserve!

(Thanks as ever to my various Smethwick songbirds).

The police fraud team are still gathering evidence relating to Sandwell Council - you can phone DS Wayne Haynes and his team in confidence on 0121 251 2175.

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