THE leader of Slough Borough Council has been criticised for appointing a controversial former mayor to a panel which holds the authority to account.

Cllr Shafiq Chaudhry was confirmed as the new chairman of the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee late last month, after being selected by Labour leader, Cllr Sohail Munawar.

But the move has been slammed as Cllr Chaudhry was forced to resign as mayor just two years ago, when he attended the court sentencing of a convicted sex offender. Cllr Chaudhry later apologised and clarified he had gone to court to support the offender’s family, and did not condone the actions of Azim Ahmed, 23, who was sentenced to six years in jail. He also had to refer himself to the standards committee.

Cllr Wayne Strutton (Con, Haymill and Lynch Hill), condemned the appointment and said the incident had not been washed from people’s memories. He said he did not vote against Cllr Chaudhry’s selection as the Tories would have lost the vote in any case.

He said: “He has no right being on any panel at the moment. If people want to elect him as a councillor - fine.

“I had questions for the leader as to why he has even been considered for the position to which I have had no response.”

Cllr Strutton said the appointment reflected badly on the council and was insensitive to the girl victims of Ahmed.

Cllr Munawar said: “As Cllr Strutton has himself noted, Cllr Chaudhry provided emotional support for the family, who were lifelong friends, and not the offender – I know Cllr Chaudhry totally abhors the crimes the offender committed. Cllr Chaudhry himself recognised that even this step of supporting lifelong friends was an error of judgement as it could be construed to represent something it didn’t.

“He took the step of referring himself to standards and resigning as mayor. His appointment was approved by full council, and if he had any concerns he should have voiced them at the meeting rather than sit on his hands, I can only assume his silence indicated assent.”