Enfield Councillor Mohammad Islam is under scrutiny following a complaint that he may have breached the Councillor Code of Conduct by using his position to support visa applications for friends and family. The Councillor Conduct Committee convened on Tuesday, 12 August 2025, to consider the complaint.
The issue came to light after the Home Office contacted the council on 1 May 2024, to verify a letter submitted as part of a visa application. The Home Office sought to confirm the legitimacy of the letter and whether the council had approved it.
The complaint, raised by Councillor Ergin Erbil, Leader of the Council, alleges that Councillor Islam, during his time as Deputy Mayor (from 10 May 2023 to 15 May 2024) and then Mayor (from 15 May 2024 to 14 May 2025), may have acted contrary to officer advice and for reasons not connected with the borough. Councillor Erbil stated, I am concerned that Cllr Islam may have unintentionally brought his office into disrepute by using the office of the Mayor to support visa applications for his friends and family, contrary to the advice of officers and for reasons not connected with the borough.
An external investigation, conducted by ch&I associates, concluded that Councillor Islam had breached paragraphs 7.1(v), 7.1(ix) and paragraph 7.2 of the Councillor Code of Conduct. These paragraphs relate to improperly using one's position to secure an advantage, conducting oneself in a manner that could bring one's office into disrepute, and observing rules when using council resources.
The Public Reports Pack outlined possible sanctions, including recommending an apology, attendance at an awareness course, engaging in mediation, reporting the findings to the full council, recommending removal from relevant council meetings or cabinet positions, withdrawing council-provided facilities, excluding the member from council premises, and publishing the findings in the local media.
The Councillor Conduct Committee, including councillors Bektas Ozer (Chair), Chris Dey (Vice-Chair), Reece Fox and Rick Jewell (Cabinet Member for Transport and Waste), and Independent Person Gary Rogers, met to determine whether Councillor Islam had breached the code and, if so, to decide on an appropriate sanction. Due to the inclusion of exempt information, the press and public were excluded from the meeting during the discussion of this item, as per Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972.
