AN Oldham councillor who was found guilty of benefit fraud has kept his position on the local authority.

Labour’s councillor Aqeel Salamat was convicted last week of falsely claiming council tax benefits.

Oldham Magistrates’ Court heard how he failed to notify the council – which he represents – that he worked as a taxi driver while picking up benefits.

But despite the conviction, the 34-year-old remains the Labour representative for St Mary’s ward. He has also retained his position as a ‘community champion’ on St Mary’s Community Council – a position which pays a ‘special allowance’.

Liberal Democrat leader, Cllr Howard Sykes, said he could not understand why Salamat had not been sacked.

He said: "There is a whole issue of confidence and integrity here. I can tell you one thing, if he was with the Lib Dems he wouldn’t be on my council."

The offences took place between July, 2004, and January, 2005, when Cllr Salamat sat on the council as a Liberal Democrat. When the allegations came to light the party suspended him and reported him to the Standards Board for England, but an inquiry yielded insufficient evidence to have him removed.

Salamat then became an independent candidate in St Mary’s. He was re-elected in 2006 but switched his allegiance to the Labour party following the May, 2007, election. Labour had needed one more seat for an overall majority and the move effectively put his new party in control.

Cllr Sykes described the switch as Labour’s "thinly disguised, grubby, distasteful and desperate manoeuvre to keep control of the council".

Last week Cllr Salamat was fined £1,000 by magistrates, ordered to pay £500 in costs and £295 back to the council.

He said he had made a "mistake" and added that he was looking forward to carrying on in his post.

He said: "My wife had been ill at this time and I was looking after my three children. I accept that I may not have given ‘prompt notification of a change to my circumstances’ which affected my entitlement to council tax benefit.

"I can’t understand why they had to take me to court at considerable expense to the council tax payer when I had offered to pay back any overpayment.

"I hope I can now put this behind me and concentrate on my work for the local community."