Tower Hamlets mayor accused of 'electoral fraud, intimidation and bribery' during last year's poll when he was voted in for second term

• Lutfur Rahman allegedly used illegal tactics to win May mayoral election
• Four voters were granted a rare seven-week electoral trial at High Court
• They claim Mayor Rahman 'subverted democracy' during the campaign
• Islamic voters were 'told they should be good Muslims and support him' 
• Supporters accused of branding his main rival racist and anti-Islamic 

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Election case: Lutfur Rahman, who runs Tower Hamlets Council (pictured campaigning last April), 'subverted democracy' during a campaign characterised by bribery, 'ghost voting', smears and 'foul libel', the High Court heard

Britain's first elected Muslim mayor is 'a liar and perjurer' who used corruption, intimidation and fraud to win a second term, a court heard today.

Lutfur Rahman, who runs Tower Hamlets Council, 'subverted democracy' during a campaign last May characterised by bribery, 'ghost voting', smears and 'foul libel', the High Court heard.

One in three residents in the east London borough he represents are Muslim and ahead of last year's election they were told they would not be 'good Muslims' unless they voted for him, it is alleged.

One young voter was found crying outside a polling station having been told he would betray his religion if he did not back Rahman, the court heard. 

The 49-year-old politician is being investigated after local campaigners compiled a vast dossier of evidence showing his re-election was rigged.

Rahman won the poll, held on 22 May last year, with 51.8 per cent of the vote, after forming his own party, Tower Hamlets First, having been expelled by Labour.

Four residents, Andrew Erlam, Debbie Simone, Azmal Hussein and Angela Moffat, plan to call 100 witnesses to prove the election was rigged, after being granted a rare electoral trial.

Today Francis Hoar, for the petitioners, who were also political opponents, opened the seven-week trial.

Mr Hoar said his clients had 'reported threats of violence, threats to their families in Bangladesh, pressure from their employers and pressure from their communities'.

The barrister said witnesses 'know about Lutfur Rahman and they know how, almost one year ago, he subverted democracy to be re-elected Mayor of Tower Hamlets'.

'Since the beginning of his political career, he has been prepared to take whatever steps, use whatever means, recruit whatever support, to obtain power - power for himself, power for his friends and most importantly, power over his community.

'He know what the law is and his attempts to pretend otherwise during the case*should fall on deaf ears.'

Mr Hoar related how Rahman was 'kicked out' of the Labour party in 2010.

He said it was during his time with Labour that 'his career of corruption, his career of intimidation, his career of fraud began'.

Mr Hoar alleged Rahman had lectured a 'secret society', the Islamic Forum for Europe, which aimed 'to infiltrate the Labour party'.

The barrister said Rahman made a speech to 'angry young men' outside the East London Mosque which resulted in the new Labour chief, Helel Abbas, receiving death threats.

He also said Rahman 'supported and funded an new organisation, the Community Consortium Against Poverty...a creature of fraud'.

Mr Hoar said the evidence would show Rahman to be 'a liar and perjurer'.

Allegations against Rahman include 'electoral fraud and 'making false statements about the personal character of John Biggs, the Labour Party candidate'

Other claims include 'Undue influence by means of spiritual influence during the election campaign and on polling day' and 'the payment of canvassers'.

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST RETURNING OFFICER DROPPED, COURT TOLD 

The judge hearing the Lutfur Rahman election trial has been told that allegations made against a returning officer had been withdrawn.

Four voters have accused Lutfur Rahman, mayor of Tower Hamlets, east London, of 'electoral fraud' at the hearing which began in London today.

They want the result of the May 2014 poll, which saw independent Mr Rahman elected for a second term, declared void and re-run. 

The group had also made allegations against returning officer John Williams.

But lawyers today told Mr Mawrey that those allegations had been withdrawn.

Timothy Straker QC, for Mr Williams, said it had been accepted that Mr Williams had 'acted properly throughout the election'.

Mr Williams said outside court in a statement: 'I welcome the decision of the petitioners to withdraw any allegations against myself and my staff.

'I have always maintained that those allegations were without foundation'.

'Intimidation at polling stations, and the interference with voters, including in polling booths' is alleged, as well as 'bribery...including to religious organisations, medial organisations and third sector organisations'.

Fresh claims revealed over the weekend include a Rahman supporter spitting at a Labour voter and a forensics expert discovering evidence of forged ballots.

Forty one polling stations were allegedly host to large numbers of Rahman supporters 'making it difficult or impossible for voters to get into the stations.

Another allegation is that council officers were 'bullied' into securing votes for Mr Rahman's party and threatened with the sack if they failed.

The trial has been brought by four petitioners, 

Tower Hamlets residents Andrew Erlam, Debbie Simone, Azmal Hussein and Angela Moffat.

If Commissioner Richard Mawrey QC finds allegations of corruption proved, he has the power to declare the election void.

Mayor Rahman and Tower Hamlets Council deny any wrongdoing.

All allegations of impropriety against Returning Officer John Williams have been withdrawn.

The trial continues with Labour candidate John Biggs, who was allegedly smeared by Rahman as a racist, set to give evidence tomorrow.