The leader of Brent Council has sent out an email denying claims that he kept the death of a Kilburn councillor secret to avoid a by-election.
Cllr Muhammed Butt said he was “saddened that someone passed an email” alleging he knew of Cllr Tayo Oladapo’s death in January ahead of a public announcement in March. An article in the Evening Standard claims he tried to “cover up” Cllr Oladapo’s death to avoid last week’s by-election.
Cllr John Duffy, Cllr Olapado’s colleague in Kilburn, said: “Today this is all speculation, by tomorrow I think people will be saying this is wrong.
“Cllr Butt told me that Tayo had died around March 8. As far as I’m aware I was one of the first outside the cabinet to be told. The idea he tried to conceal if for a month before that, I don’t know, there’s no proof.”
The 34-year-old councillor had a severe liver condition and died after a long illness.
