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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Joe Thomas

Update on council's Joe Anderson legal fees decision

A verdict over whether taxpayers’ money will be used to help pay the legal costs of former city mayor Joe Anderson has not yet been reached.

Liverpool Council refused to provide indemnity to cover fees accrued by Mr Anderson in relation to the police investigation Operation Aloft.

But last year a High Court judge ordered the authority to reconsider that decision.

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Mr Anderson was arrested on suspicion of bribery and witness intimidation in December 2020.

The 64-year-old was questioned in connection with a Merseyside Police investigation into building and development contracts, codenamed Operation Aloft.

He has not been charged with a criminal offence and denies any wrongdoing.

Last year, he brought action against Liverpool Council for refusing to provide indemnity to cover the legal costs of defending himself against the allegations.

A High Court judge, Mrs Justice Yip, said the authority had wrongly applied its own policy when making the decision not to grant the indemnity.

The case, which took place in July, heard the council's decision not to grant the indemnity to Mr Anderson was made because it considered it would not have been lawful to do so and the allegations against him did not relate to work he carried out in his position of Mayor of Liverpool.

In a judgement handed down in August, however, Mrs Justice Yip said the council had wrongly applied its policy and should reconsider the request.

The judge did not indicate what she believed the correct final outcome would be.

Liverpool Council said it would reconsider its position at the time.

Today, six months on from that ruling, it confirmed a new decision has not yet been reached.

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