Daijiworld Media Network – London

London, Feb 6: A former mayor of a British borough has been accused of helping her son conceal evidence linked to the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl, a UK court heard.

Naheed Ejaz, former mayor of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, is facing charges of perverting the course of justice for allegedly delaying police officers and assisting her son, Diwan Khan, 41, in hiding a mobile phone believed to contain video evidence of the alleged sexual assault.

According to prosecutors at Winchester Crown Court, police arrived at Ejaz’s residence in September 2024 to arrest Khan in connection with allegations that he sexually assaulted a minor in June 2024. The court was told that Ejaz prevented officers from entering the house for several minutes and spoke to her son in Urdu, allegedly to help him conceal the phone.

The prosecution alleged that Khan gave the teenage girl MDMA and vodka before raping her when she lost consciousness. The victim told the court that she later woke up naked in the backseat of her car and that Khan showed her a video of the assault, which allegedly included choking and physical violence.

The court heard that Khan allegedly threatened the girl, telling her she “belonged” to him and warning that he would show the video to her mother. He is also accused of threatening to kill her if she reported the incident.

The victim further testified that she and a friend had met Khan after he offered to take them for a drive and provided alcohol laced with drugs. He allegedly made sexual advances towards both girls, which they refused.

Prosecutor Ed Wylde told the court that when Khan later handed over a phone to the police, it did not contain the alleged video. “We say that Ms Ejaz was aware this was not the phone police were seeking and assisted Mr Khan in concealing the device likely containing crucial evidence,” Wylde said.

The prosecution also alleged that Ejaz and her son spoke in Urdu to prevent officers from understanding their conversation. Khan has denied the rape charges, claiming he met the victim through a dating app and believed she was 24 years old. The prosecution disputed this claim, stating the victim had told police she was 15.

Ejaz, a Labour Party member who served as mayor from May 2023 to May 2024 and was the borough’s first Pakistani Muslim mayor, has pleaded not guilty to the charge of perverting the course of justice.