How Ken denied claims ... then heads rolled

5 December 2007

The Standard reveals Lee Jasper, the Mayor's director of equalities and policing, is under GLA investigation after at least £2.5 million in City Hall money went to bodies controlled by his associates which appeared to do little or no work. Ken Livingstone tells the BBC there is a "complete audit trail" of the grants.

11 December

An inquiry is launched into £500,000 of public funds given to Brixton Base. The LDA, which awarded money to the project, is conducting an audit. The Mayor says the allegations are "fishing expeditions".

13 December

Leaked emails show LDA chief executive Manny Lewis expressed "deepest possible concern" about a £345,000 grant to Diversity International, run by Joel O'Loughlin, a close friend of Mr Jasper.

21 December

Three former instructors allege fraud and intimidation at the South London Green Badge Taxi School, which teaches the Knowledge to ethnic-minority drivers and received LDA money. Police are called in.

11 January 2008

The LDA inquiry is unable to conclude whether money has been spent fraudulently. The Met is to investigate Diversity Works, the European Federation of Black Women Business Owners, which received £25,000 and the Deshbangla Foundation, which received £30,000.

23 January

Mr Jasper's deputy, Rosemary Emodi, quits her £100,000-a-year post after taking a free trip to Nigeria with Errol Walters, director of two organisations linked to Mr Jasper that received City Hall cash. The Mayor's office had said Ms Emodi had not been on the trip.

28 January

Mr Jasper admits £18,000 of City Hall money was improperly diverted to bail out Ethnic Mutual, of which he is a director, but says he knew nothing of the payment. The Met launches an inquiry and days later another one, into Brixton Base.

7 February

Mr Lewis says Mr Jasper behaved inappropriately. Mr Livingstone admits his audit trail comment was untrue and claims he was in the dark about how money was awarded until the LDA inquiry reported.

4 March

Lee Jasper quits after a series of sexually charged emails sent to a woman whose organisation received funding is revealed.

8 May

Boris Johnson announces Forensic Audit Panel will investigate the allegations. It reports Caribbean Showcase to police after finding that money "may have gone missing or been misappropriated".

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