A London councillor accused of multiple sexual offences is in line to be appointed to the town hall’s own Investigating Committee.
Lambeth councillor Irfan Mohammed was suspended by the Labour Party in July after being charged with four counts of sexual assault, exposure and engaging in coercive or controlling behaviour.
The alleged incidents are believed to have taken place in neighbouring Southwark between June 2024 and July 2025.
Mohammed, 42, was removed from his position as a deputy cabinet member and all Lambeth council committees when the allegations came to light.
He now sits as an independent councillor in the borough’s Clapham Park ward and is expected to be appointed to the local authority’s Investigating Committee at a meeting on Wednesday night, according to council documents.
A Lambeth Council spokesman said the new position was to reflect the political make up of the local authority now it has an independent member.
The Investigating Committee “monitors, questions and investigates” the council’s performance and “holds the cabinet and officers to account in public”.
Councillor Donna Harris, who leads Lambeth’s Liberal Democrats, said: “Given the seriousness of the allegations, it is entirely inappropriate for councillor Mohammed to be offered a committee seat while these matters are before the courts.
“This sends the wrong message to residents, staff, fellow councillors and undermines trust in the council’s commitment to safety and integrity.
“While the presumption of innocence must always be upheld, safeguarding principles require us to prioritise safety and trust.
“Allowing someone facing these types of allegations to participate in council functions, especially investigatory roles, would be a serious reputational and ethical risk.”
Mohammed was first elected as a Labour councillor in 2018.
He was charged with multiple offences alongside two other men in relation to the same investigation.
Kaymren Mohammed, 38, was charged with three counts of assault by beating and one count of controlling and coercive behaviour.
Zairab Mohammed, 72, was also charged with coercive and controlling behaviour.
All three men deny the charges and a trial is set for June.
A Lambeth Council spokesperson said: “The council takes safeguarding issues extremely seriously and took immediate action upon being notified that Cllr Mohammed had been arrested in July. He is now an independent councillor having been suspended from the Lambeth Labour group, and removed from his role as a Deputy Cabinet Member, following criminal charges that are yet to be tried.
“By law different political groups are given proportionate representation on council committees. These changes are being made due to recent changes to the number of councillors in each political group. As the sole independent, the councillor meets the legal requirement for the allocation of a seat on a committee.
“The law only disqualifies a councillor from office if they are convicted of a crime in certain circumstances, and does not give the council the power to remove an individual from office.
“We have taken action in this case and the council treats safeguarding issues with the utmost seriousness. If the Independent Councillor is appointed to the Investigating Committee and is then required to attend a meeting, a risk assessment will be conducted in advance.”
