A COUNCILLOR was accused of lying after he claimed Labour leaders had gagged an advice service manager.

Liberal Democrat Mozaquir Ali said there was concern over the way the new Daneshouse Road Advice Centre was being run, but manager Fazal Khan felt unable to speak out because of pressure from Labour councillors in charge.

But the comment brought a furious response from Coun Ken McGeorge, chairman of the company set up by the council to run advice services.

He said: "That is a lie, a lot of rubbish. I challenge you to prove that."

But Independent Coun Harry Brooks said: "It is quite easy to see why Mr Khan does not feel able to speak out about the people who are manipulating the centre - it is more than his job is worth."

The Labour council set up the new advice unit company after long-running criticism of the private organisations which the council had heavily funded for years to give advice to the Asian community.

They were accused of gross mismanagement by rival factions within the community.

Coun Brooks said the new unit was not, as claimed, independent and had a board of directors made up only of Labour councillors - a partisan stance which excluded all others, he told the general purposes committee.

But Coun Peter Kenyon said there was no foundation to allegations which amounted only to mudslinging by Councillors Brooks and Ali.

He said: "Fazal Khan has not been subjected to any pressures to keep quiet about anything or sweep anything under the carpet."

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