Leicester's Lord Mayor: I'm being pursued for the crimes of another

Last week I blogged about a lawsuit being brought on behalf of eight teenage boys who say they were sexually abused in India. It is being brought following the conviction of Derek Slade for offences against boys in England.

The claims are against the charity Help a Poor Child, Abdul Osman (the Lord Mayor of Leicester) and Derek Sawyer (the former leader of Islington Borough Council).

In that post I quoted a statement by Help a Poor Child, as quoted by the East Anglian Daily Times:

“The charity has never had any involvement in the ownership or running of Anglo-Kutchi Medium School in India. 

“Furthermore, the charity had no role in the appointment of Derek Slade to a tuition position at that school."

The charity's position was endorsed by the Raving Pikey blog, which has been keeping a close eye on the Slade case and its aftermath.

On Thursday the Leicester Mercury had an article about Abdul Osman, quoting his denial of any culpability:

"We raised money but that was it. I did not appoint Slade and I did not run the school. 

"If the acts are proved to have taken place, I condemn them absolutely. 

"I don't know why they are coming after me. I am being pursued for someone else's crimes.

And the Burton Mail tells us that:

Derek Sawyer’s solicitor issued a statement which said Mr Sawyer ‘had no management responsibilities at the school and did not employ Mr Slade’ and that ‘he had no knowledge of any sexual abuse allegations at the relevant time, and obviously he utterly condemns any such behaviour’.