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Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has said he is cooperating with police after he was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and intimidation of witnesses.
Anderson, 62, was arrested along with four other men on Friday as part of an investigation into construction and planning developments in the city.
All five have been released pending further investigations, Merseyside police said.
The directly elected mayor said he was interrogated for six hours and is “cooperating fully” with detectives.
He added that he supports the Labor Party’s decision to suspend it pending the investigation and will work with his council cabinet to ensure Liverpool’s response to the coronavirus the crisis is not affected.
Anderson, 62, has been rescued and temporarily suspended from the Labor Party.
Mr. Anderson’s statement on Saturday read: “I was arrested as part of Operation Aloft on Friday, December 4, and interviewed for six hours. I fully cooperated with the Merseyside Police and will continue to cooperate in their ongoing investigations.
“I will speak with my Cabinet colleagues over the weekend to ensure that the challenges our city faces with the COVID pandemic continue to receive the focus they deserve.
“I also support the Labor Party’s decision to apply an administrative suspension while this investigation continues.
“I was released on bail to return within a month. Given that the investigation continues and conditions exist for bail, I will not comment further.”
The Merseyside Police fraud investigation has now seen 11 people arrested in total and is believed to have been running for more than a year, according to Sky News Northern England correspondent Tom Parmenter.
“Detectives have not disclosed which property deals are being examined, but they are all within the city of Liverpool,” he added.
The force did not name Mr. Anderson in its opening statement, only revealing that the following people had been arrested:
- 72-year-old Aigburth man on suspicion of witness intimidation
- A 62-year-old man from Old Swan on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness bullying
- 46-year-old Ainsdale man on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness bullying.
- A 33-year-old West Derby man on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness bullying.
- A 25-year-old man from Ormskirk on suspicion of witness intimidation
But the mayor’s statement on Saturday confirmed his involvement.
Anderson has been at the forefront of Liverpool’s response to COVID-19, with the government having presented the city as an example of how areas can emerge from the toughest level of its tiered restrictions.
Liverpool It was at Level 3 before the November lockdown, but is now at Level 2 after tighter measures and the launch of massive tests helped bring the numbers back under control.
Anderson revealed earlier this year that his brother bill he had died from the virus at age 70.
