Friends fear suspended Brighton and Hove housing chief is victim of witchhunt

Friends of suspended Brighton and Hove housing chief Jugal Sharma fear that he is the victim of a witchhunt.

The fears were expressed as it emerged that Mr Sharma’s younger brother runs a property company that has been paid millions of pounds by Brighton and Hove City Council.

The Brighton and Hove Independent newspaper revealed in a six-page investigation that the council had paid KEM Property Services £8.3 million since April 2010.

The free weekly newspaper today (Friday 10 January) published information from a series of documents available from the Land Registry, Companies House and the council itself.

No one has publicly accused 53-year-old Mr Sharma of breaking any rules but he remains suspended from his post as head of housing at the council and under investigation.

Some said that he made a timely and proper declaration of interest about his brother’s business to his manager in the council’s housing department in June 2004.

It has been suggested that, when council staff began discussions about the contract with KEM which is coming to an end, Mr Sharma made a further declaration of interest, in June 2012.

The contract relates to leases for properties which are used as temporary and emergency housing for the homeless.

Mr Sharma helped introduce the current scheme. His brother’s company is not the biggest beneficiary although the Brighton and Hove Independent estimates that KEM has nevertheless received up to £20 million since 2005.

The leasing scheme, working with private sector landlords, was set up after the last Labour government promised to stop putting families in temporary – and costly – bed and breakfasts (B&Bs).

The council had to find alternatives to B&B for hundreds of homeless local families.

Without the leasing scheme, the waiting list for a council house or flat would be considerably longer, according to one local housing expert.

It provides security of income for the landlord and makes it easier – and cheaper – for the council to meet its duty to house the homeless.

The £8.3 million payments over the past four years relate to five Brighton and Hove properties which are owned by Mr Sharma’s brother, Ashley Parker, 51.

The Brighton and Hove Independent said that Mr Sharma’s brother also appears on official documents as Ashone Sharma and Ashoni Parker.

The newspaper said: “Mr Sharma … one of Brighton and Hove City Council’s highest-earning officers – with a salary of £82,500 – has told friends that he has ‘declared everything’ and insisted he had done nothing wrong.

“Friends claim he is the victim of a ‘witchhunt’ and a ‘conspiracy’.

“Prominent in the internal investigation that preceded Mr Sharma’s suspension was Jill Whittaker – a lawyer in the council’s corporate law team – whose husband is Lord Bassam of Brighton, Labour leader of the council until 1999.

“Our investigation has not uncovered any evidence to suggest Mr Sharma – whose wife Audrey is an environmental health officer with the council – has done anything wrong.”

The newspaper quoted one source close to the investigation as saying: “The question of whether everything was properly declared is clearly disputed.”

It added: “Jason Kitcat, the council leader, has been personally briefed. The police investigation is being led by Detective Sergeant Sally Smith, of Sussex Police’s Economic Crime Unit. Neither was willing to comment.”