A lawyer and would-be politician accused of helping a group launder millions in cash is facing a two-year wait for trial.
Akhmed Yakoob, 37, who ran against Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood in the 2024 election, is known for his popular legal videos on TikTok.
The solicitor, who stood as an independent for the West Midlands mayoral election and the general election, is accused of assisting people “that wanted help to launder cash of millions of pounds”.
Yakoob, of Aldridge in Walsall, and accountant Nabeel Afzal, 38, from Birmingham, have already denied money laundering, encouraging money laundering and contravening a requirement to apply customer due diligence measures when establishing a business relationship between February 18, 2020 and January 8, 2021.
If convicted, they could be jailed for up to 14 years.
The pair appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday, where Yakoob wore patterned trousers and a waistcoat with tinted glasses in the dock.
A number of supporters were in the public gallery to watch the short hearing.
Yakoob stood in Ms Mahmood’s Birmingham Ladywood constituency in last year’s general election, coming second with 12,137 votes compared to her 15,558. He came third in the West Midlands mayoral election with 69,621 votes.
As a solicitor he represented two brothers who were involved in an incident involving Greater Manchester Police officers at Manchester Airport in July 2024.
A trial date was set for August 23, 2027.
