Former Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson and former deputy leader Derek Hatton are among 12 people who have been charged as part of an investigation into council corruption.
Anderson, 67, who was first arrested in December 2020, has been charged with bribery, misconduct in a public office and conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office, Merseyside Police said on Friday.
Hatton, 77, who was deputy leader in the 1980s and a known militant figure on the Labour left, has been charged with bribery and one count of counsel or procure misconduct in a public office.
Anderson’s son David Anderson, 37, of Wavertree, is charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office.
The charges are part of a long-running investigation known as Operation Aloft, which was launched by police to look into the the awarding of commercial and business contracts from Liverpool City Council between 2010 and 2020.
Other people charged include the former assistant director of highways and planning and the former head of regeneration.
The full charges are:
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A spokesman for Merseyside Police said all 12 were due to appear at Preston Magistrates’ Court on 28 March.
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