Newham Council's Audit and Governance Committee convened on Wednesday, 5 November 2025, to review the council's counter fraud measures, among other key governance and financial matters. The committee is working to balance transparency with the need to protect sensitive information in ongoing investigations.
The committee, including Councillor Carleene Lee-Phakoe, Councillor Aktharul Alam, Councillor Melanie Onovo, Councillor Thelma Odoi, Councillor Anthony McAlmont, Councillor Anamul Islam, Councillor Terence Paul, and Councillor Areeq Chowdhury, examined the quarterly counter fraud progress report, as detailed in the meeting agenda.
According to the minutes from the previous meeting, the committee had previously discussed housing tenancy fraud, including a case of illegal sub-letting that lasted nine years. The council successfully recovered £68,000 in that instance after taking civil action.
During the July meeting, a member inquired about the duration of housing fraud cases, and officers responded that it varied. Another member asked how the council might promote successful prosecution outcomes to create a deterrent. Officers noted that success stories were published, but the journey to a successful prosecution takes time. In response to a question about how illegal subletting was identified, officers said there were three strands of (1) public reporting (2) data matching and (3) intelligence from other council departments.
As a result, the committee requested a short report on the different strands used to find illegal subletting but without giving away council secrets.
