09-Aug-2011 11:29
Chutzpah? Rip-off? Parasite? Or...? You decide...
A report by Damian Wilson on WalletpopUK relates that Shiraj Haque, known as the 'Curry King of Brick Lane', despite owning a string of properties, four restaurants and a supermarket, lives at the taxpayer's - our - expense in a house meant for low-income families.
Mr Haque lives in the three-storey home in Bethnal Green paying just £135 rent a week even though he owns eight other properties including a £2m home in South Woodford.
Why?
He says it's because he's a 'social democrat' and wants to 'connect with the community'.
Well, his wealth is certainly in contrast to these humble beliefs, It's like he thinks he's appearing in an episode of The Secret Millionaire that has no ending.
And all this in a borough that has one of the longest waiting lists for council housing in London, with 20,000 people.
But he's not alone in the overabundance of gall department because Ayesha Chowdhury, who is herself a serving Labour councillor on Newham council, has been living in a housing association home despite owning 17 other properties worth £1m.
So she's responsible for allocating how the good folk of Newham have they're hard-earned taxes spent and decided that a housing association picking up a large part of the tab for her accommodation was value for money.
The mind really does boggle.
And while it's boggling, the government has decided to press ahead with plans to block council housing for anyone earning £100,000 a year. Is it just me, or does that seem a little obvious and maybe a bit too genorous?
The infuriating thing is that Mr Haque and Mrs Chowdhury are just two people who have been caught diddling the taxpayer.
How many more are out there?
And I'm not talking about the low-level benefits scrounger trying to pull the wool over the council's eyes, I'm talking, wealthy individuals who are just plain greedy and ripping the rest of us off.
Makes you laugh at the Government proclamations at a time of austerity that 'we're all in this together'.
It's simply not true.
