Bracknell News 30th April 2026: (click to view)

Reported that, Diwan Khan, Bracknell taxi driver and mayor's son was jailed for 12 years for rape of a 15 years old girl, and the ex-Bracknell Mayor, Naheed Ejaz was jailed for 3 years for perverting the course of justice.

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This saga has raised Key Questions About Licensing, Governance and Scrutiny in Bracknell

Recent FOI disclosures and internal documents have raised important questions about how safeguarding, licensing and governance were handled in Bracknell long before the criminal case came to light.

Concerns appear to have existed about whether the former mayor’s consort was a “fit and proper person” to hold a taxi licence. If so, residents still deserve to understand how that licence was issued, whether the decision went before a licensing panel, and what, if any, challenge took place.

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Documents emerging about an earlier standards investigation (late 2023 to early 2024) highlight several issues:

• A report described as “completed weeks earlier” was circulated only later

• Recipients were asked not to share it

• The matter did not appear in the annual Standards report

• A Code of Conduct complaint was paused because it was said to be “not an appropriate time”

 

These points raise a wider question: where was scrutiny?
Scrutiny is not only the responsibility of the administration. Every councillor has a duty to challenge unclear processes, particularly when safeguarding or licensing concerns are involved.

Residents now need clarity on three things:

1. The timeline of the earlier investigation

2. Which governance processes were followed

3. What scrutiny took place once concerns were known

 

The investigation announced by the new Council Leader is a welcome step, but public confidence requires understanding how earlier concerns were handled and whether systems worked as they should.

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A final question remains for those who held opposition roles at the time: if concerns were already being discussed at senior level, what scrutiny was carried out then? Speaking up once matters are public is one thing; the real test is what was done before.

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