World News
DVLA drops car tax conviction against London Mayor Sadiq Khan after false registration
Magistrates withdrew the case over an untaxed vehicle that did not belong to Khan following a request from the agency.
The short version
- A car tax conviction against London Mayor Sadiq Khan was formally reopened and withdrawn at Hereford Justice Centre at the DVLA's request.
- Khan had been convicted in his absence last month over an untaxed 24-year-old Nissan Micra that neither he nor Transport for London owned.
- The mayor's office attributed the incident to an illegal scam involving fraudulent vehicle registration.
- The DVLA is set to investigate how the vehicle was falsely registered in Khan's name.
Key facts
- A panel of magistrates at Hereford Justice Centre formally withdrew the car tax prosecution against Sadiq Khan after the DVLA asked for the matter to be dropped.[BBC News · The Guardian]
- Khan was previously convicted in his absence under the Single Justice Procedure and ordered to pay a £220 fine, £85 in costs, and £35.84 in back tax for a 24-year-old Nissan Micra.[BBC News · The Guardian]
- City Hall stated that neither Khan nor Transport for London owned the car, describing the case as an illegal scam.[The Guardian]
- Court records show correspondence regarding the vehicle had been sent to a restaurant owned by Gordon Ramsay in east London instead of Khan.[BBC News]
- An adviser to the mayor stated that the DVLA will investigate the fraudulent registration.[BBC News]
What remains uncertain
- The identity and motives of the individuals who fraudulently registered the vehicle in Khan's name have not been publicly confirmed.[BBC News · The Guardian]
Sources
- Sadiq Khan cleared of car tax conviction caused by ‘scam’The Guardian - World
- DVLA withdraws tax conviction against Sadiq Khan after he says it was a scamBBC News - Top Stories