Labour MP accused of conning council out of £64,000 in benefits to get a studio flat 'needed protection' from her brother after she married a man her family disliked, court hears
A Labour MP accused of conning a local council out of £64,000 in housing benefits to 'dishonestly' obtain a studio flat 'needed protection' from her brother after she married a man her family disliked, a court heard today.
Apsana Begum, 31, claimed she was living in 'overcrowded conditions' with her family when she was in fact in a four-bedroom house with three other people, jurors have been told.
She also did not tell police when she moved in with her partner, Ehtasham Haque, and later blamed him for making an application in her name, it is claimed.
Apsana Begum, 31, claimed she was living in 'overcrowded conditions' with her family when she was in fact in a four-bedroom house with three other people, jurors have been told
The MP, who denies three counts of fraud dating from January 18 2013 to March 31 2016, won the east London seat of Poplar and Limehouse with a 28,904 majority in the general election in December 2019.
Jurors heard Begum left her family home in Poplar in 2013 because of a dispute over her partner being a divorcee, and felt she was under threat from her brother.
Reading out the agreed facts of the case at Snaresbrook Crown Court, James Marsland, prosecuting, said Begum thought 'her family didn't like Mr Haque because he was divorced' and was 'finding the situation... stressful'.
'Her brother was aware that she had taken her passport and wrongly thought she had taken it to run away.
'She was asked by the if she was at danger of honour-based violence. She was feeling a bit worried.
'In their risk assessment, the police noticed that her brother was using controlling behaviour.'
Begum was later forced to move back in with her family in November 2015 after her partner then began harassing her and threatening to kill himself, the court heard.
Jurors heard Begum left her family home in Poplar in 2013 because of a dispute over her partner being a divorcee, and felt she was under threat from her brother. Pictured: Snaresbrook Crown Court, where the trial continues
She was awarded the one-bedroom studio flat in March 2016.
'Police heard that Mr Haque was following her,' Mr Marsland told the court. ' was constantly calling and texting her.
'She showed the messages to the police.
'On 21 April 2016, Ehtasham Haque was contacted by the police and was given a written harassment warning and told to stop harassing Apsana Begum.'
Begum was one of 26 new Labour MPs elected in 2019, winning her seat with a majority of nearly 30,000.
A supporter of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Momentum, she has spoken in Parliament about the impact of coronavirus on ethnic minorities and sits on the Commons education committee.
She is also notable for being the chair of an all-party committee on domestic abuse and violence and has spoken in the House of Commons about being a survivor.
Begum denies fraud and the trial continues.