- Joe Anderson and 11 others charged with bribery and misconduct
- Anderson denies charges and vows to clear his name
- All 12 to appear in court on 28 March
Former Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson and city politician Derek Hatton, along with 10 others, have been charged with bribery and misconduct related to council contracts, according to police.
The charges follow a Merseyside Police investigation, Operation Aloft, which focused on several property developers.
In a post on X, Anderson, the former mayor, urged people not to fall into the “no smoke without fire” mentality. He declared his innocence and vowed to fight the charges. “I am innocent of charges and will fight to clear my name. Thank you for all the messages of support and best wishes,” he said. Anderson, a father of four, was elected mayor in 2012 after serving as a Labour councillor since 1998.
Merseyside Police confirmed that 12 individuals had been charged following an investigation into the awarding of commercial and business contracts from Liverpool City Council between 2010 and 2020.
Liverpool City Council expressed its support for the police investigation and said it would continue to cooperate as needed. A spokesperson added: “It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”
The individuals charged are:
- Joe Anderson, 67, of Knotty Ash: One count of bribery, one count of misconduct in a public office, and one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office.
- Derek Hatton, 77, of Aigburth: One count of bribery and one count of counsel or procure misconduct in a public office.
- Nicholas Kavanagh, 56, of Mossley Hill: Two counts of bribery.
- Andrew Barr, 51, of Ainsdale: Conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office and one count of bribery.
- David Anderson, 37, of Wavertree: Conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office.
- Phillipa Cook, 49, of Mossley Hill: Two counts of bribery.
- Alex Croft, 29, of Aughton, Lancashire: One count of bribery.
- Julian Flanagan, 53, of Crosby: One count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
- Paul Flanagan, 61, of Knowsley Village: One count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
- Sonjia Hatton, 49, of Aigburth: One count of misconduct in a public office.
- Adam McLean, 54, of Woolton: One count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
- James Shalliker, 38, of Downholland, Lancashire: One count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
All 12 individuals are scheduled to appear at Preston Magistrates’ Court on 28 March.
Robin Weyell, deputy chief crown prosecutor, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has reviewed a full file of evidence from Merseyside Police and has authorized the investigation team to charge 12 people with 12 offences related to bribery and misconduct in public office.”
He emphasized that criminal proceedings were now active and stressed the importance of avoiding any reporting, commentary, or online sharing that could prejudice the case.
