'I have done nothing wrong' (From Ealing Times)

'I have done nothing wrong'

9:40am Thursday 25th September 2008 in

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A LOCAL MP has been caught up in a sleaze probe after it emerged he signed a letter urging a judge to review a case involving a major Labour party donor.

Virendra Sharma MP (Lab Ealing Southall), co-signed a letter with fellow MP Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, urging the High Court to look again at the challenge of high-profile lawyer Shahrokh Mireskandari, who was locked in a legal battle with an airline.

Mr Mireskandari wrote to both MPs to ask them to look into allegations about the conduct of a judge in an earlier hearing, as he was challenging an order to pay £250,000 in costs to the Romanian company.

It has now been alleged that Mr Vaz had a personal relationship with the Iranian-born lawyer and his firm, Dean & Dean, and had accepted hospitality from him.

The high-profile Indian MP was also a member of the panel which selected Mr Sharma as the Labour candidate for the Ealing-Southall seat in July 2007 by-election.

Councillor Gurcharan Singh, who defected to the Tories following Mr Sharma’s selection, said he should have been “more careful”.

He said: “This is a serious matter writing to a judge while a case is going on.

“Keith Vaz was a major player on his selection committee.

“I think he should own up and say he made a mistake and he should be more careful. There should be more investigation into what has happened.

“This is a serious matter and interfering in the judicial process is not on.”

Mr Vaz has now asked for an inquiry by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards in a bid to clear him of the sleaze allegations.

Mr Sharma denied any wrongdoing in signing the letter and vehemently denied he was repaying any debt to Mr Vaz.

He said: “There was no such understanding between me and Keith. There was no understanding before and after the selection.

“It is not the case there were any favours to return. I was selected on my own merits.

“There was nothing wrong with forwarding a request we received from a company making allegations against the system and an individual.

“I was not aware of any relationship between them and Keith and I have no personal or professional relationship with them. I do not think I have to be more careful as I do not think I have done anything wrong.

“Keith has asked for an inquiry into the situation which shows me he is confident he has done nothing wrong either.”

A statement issued on behalf of John Lyon, the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, said: “The commissioner would only accept a self-referral from a member in exceptional circumstances and with the specific authority of the Committee on Standards and Privileges.

“The commissioner has accordingly written to Mr Vaz about his request. He will then consider whether, when the house returns, to seek the authority of the Committee on Standards and Privileges exceptionally to institute an inquiry.

“In the meantime the commissioner will continue to consider any complaints he receives about this matter.”