Lee Jasper, race adviser to Mayor Ken Livingstone has denied any knowledge of a loan made to the African Caribbean Positive Image Foundation of which he was a director by Ethnic Mutual which is been at the centre of a number of allegations.
It’s reported that last week officers raided the offices of Ethnic Mutual, which has received more than £1m from the London Development Agency and central government.
In a statement issued today Mr Jasper said:
“I was a director of the African Caribbean Positive Image Foundation, a company which ceased trading in 2003
I was informed in October 2007 that a fellow former director of ACPIF, Emerson Braithwaite, had, without my knowledge, arranged a loan of £18,000 from Ethic Mutual to be paid to ACPIF. Mr Braithwaite had been the sole signatory on bank transactions for the company.
The loan was not agreed by me nor was I formally or informally consulted or contacted about it as director of the company.
I only became aware a loan was received by ACPIF as a consequence of an investigation conducted by the LDA and the Financial Services Authority.
I have been informed by Mr Braithwaite, and this has been confirmed by the CEO of EM, that the loan was subsequently reassigned to Mr Braithwaite personally, who made arrangements to pay back the loan he received to EM.
I understand that the terms of repayment are contained within a written agreement between Mr Braithwaite and Ethnic Mutual, but, of course, I have not seen the agreement, as ACPIF no longer exists and I had no knowledge this loan had been made.”
Conservative Mayoral candidate Boris Johnson has called on Mr Livingstone to sack Mr Jasper.
