Cllr Mohammad Islam, who resigned from the mayoralty in August, admitted to writing letters in support of visa applications despite being advised by council officers that it was inappropriate.
He was rebuked by Enfield Council’s conduct committee in August for breaching the council’s code of conduct on three counts – including “bringing his office into disrepute” – for using his position as mayor to support visa applications for friends and family.
The Ponders End representative, who now sits as an independent after being suspended by the Labour Party, said: “I would like to offer my sincere apology to the council for the conduct in relation to the invitation letters to attend council programs.
“I recognise that the actions did not meet the standards expected of an elected member and may have affected confidence in the council.
“I have already written to the governance team requesting that they provide a date for me to undertake the code of conduct training, and I look forward to completing it at the earliest opportunity.
“I remain committed to ensuring that my future conduct reflects the responsibilities and expectations of public office.
“While I accept the findings of the committee and comply fully with its decision, I will be raising some separate concerns about aspects of the process through the appropriate channels.”
Enfield Council’s conduct committee found he had brought his office into disrepute and breached the councillors’ code of conduct.
He was ordered to make a written apology, undertake code of conduct training, and stop wearing his past mayor badge.
Cllr Islam was also told not to use his position to support visa applications in the future.
A spokesman for Enfield Council said: “We can confirm that Cllr Islam wrote to the monitoring officer on Friday, November 21, with an apology and that he accepted the findings of the council’s conduct committee.”
Cllr Islam has said he plans to refer the case to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman due to concerns about the committee’s process.
A legal adviser for Cllr Islam told BBC London: “We are now preparing to refer this entire case to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to ensure an independent, fair, and transparent review of the council’s handling of this matter.”
