By Pressure mounts on John Fenty over dealings with convicted fraudster
Deputy Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council and GTFC majority shareholder John Fenty is coming under increasing pressure over his links to a convicted fraudster.
Alex May has held meetings with Mr Fenty and attended the Grimsby Town football match with Mansfield on Saturday, when he sat in the directors’ area.
A convicted fraudster who was jailed for conning elderly homeowners in Manchester, Mr May has reportedly also visited Blundell Park on other occasions this season as a guest of Mr Fenty and is looking to invest in the club.
Mr May changed his name by deed poll from Alick Kapikanya after he was sentenced to six years in prison in 2014 for a multi-million pound mortgage fraud scam.
Mr Fenty, the council’s regeneration chief, has reportedly confirmed to other local media that he set up a company with Alex May, but says the pair are no longer business partners.
After an emergency meeting, The Mariners Trust Board said: “The Mariners Trust Board would like to make it known that we oppose the involvement of Alex May in the football club and we have made the Chairman of GTFC aware of our position.”
The Labour Party in Grimsby has now called for an independent investigation into Mr Fenty’s dealings with Alex May, citing concerns it is bringing North East Lincolnshire Council into disrepute.
In a letter to the Conservative Leader of the Council Phillip Jackson, Councillor Matthew Patrick, Leader of the Labour Group, says that he is concerned that “by entering into a business relationship” with Mr May, “Cllr Fenty is bringing our council into disrepute and leading others to question the integrity of its governance”.
He continues: “I am therefore writing to ask you to instruct the Chief Executive to commission an independent investigation into whether or not councillor Fenty has acted appropriately, ensure that the investigation is dealt with expeditiously and that in meantime councillor Fenty has his Cabinet responsibilities suspended, including his role as Deputy Leader of the Council.”
