Council leader and deputy leader to appear in court after fraud investigation
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A council leader and deputy leader will appear in court charged with a host of offences.
Jason Zadrozny, leader of Ashfield District Council in Nottinghamshire, will appear in court in July, along with the council’s deputy leader, Thomas Hollis.
Zadrozny, 42, was arrested last November along with five other councillors from his party, the Ashfield Independents, as part of investigations into alleged fraud.
On Friday, Nottinghamshire Police said he had been charged with 12 counts of fraud by false representation, five of money laundering, four of being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of income tax, and one of possession of a Class A drug.
Hollis, 30, is accused of two charges under the under the Localism Act 2011, relating to an alleged failure to declare his disclosable pecuniary interest in a property, as required under the act.
Zadrozny, of Sutton Road, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, represents the Larwood ward and has previously denied wrongdoing by him and his party colleagues.
He was first elected to the council in 2007 as a Liberal Democrat, serving as leader until 2009, and has served in the role since 2018 for his current party.
He has also sat on Nottinghamshire County Council since 2007, first for the Sutton-in-Ashfield North division and latterly for Ashfields.
Police said that his fraud charges relate to the alleged misuse of Nottinghamshire County Council funds between February 14 2018 and February 16 2021.
The money laundering charges date back from April 2018 to June 2019, the income tax charges from January 2007 to February 2022, and the drug charge relates to the alleged possession of cocaine on September 10 2021.
Hollis, of Yew Tree Drive, Huthwaite, represents the Huthwaite & Brierley ward and has also served on Nottinghamshire County Council from 2013, representing Sutton-in-Ashfield West and latterly Sutton West.
Police said his offences are alleged to have been committed between May 30 2019 and September 10 2021.
The pair will appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on July 21.
