Iqbal, a former Labour councillor who lied about his address so he could run in the local election was jailed and banned from running for five years.
Iqbal admitted three counts of making false statements in candidate nomination papers and one of perverting the course of justice. He was jailed for 17 months.
Chaudhary Mohammed Iqbal of Cecil Avenue, Barking, told officials he lived in Ilford so he could run for the Loxford seat on Redbridge Borough Council in 2018.
When police began to investigate, Iqbal encouraged his tenant Kristina Stankeviciute to lie on his behalf and tell officers that he lived in a converted living room at the Ilford property.
Stankeviciute has since left the country and a European Warrant for her arrest was issued in December 2020.
Southwark Crown Court heard Iqbal had worked to become a councillor for more than a decade, initially joining the Labour party in 2007 before defecting to the Conservatives to see if he would be more successful. When that didn't work, he re-joined the Labour party, giving multiple false addresses in his attempts to run for local office. He successfully sat as a Labour councillor for more than two years, claiming more than £18,000 in expenses and allowances, before stepping down for what he claimed was health reasons in October 2020.
That same month, the former councillor pleaded guilty to three counts of making false statements in candidate nomination papers and one count of perverting the course of justice. Iqbal, who has since moved to Preston, appeared at Southwark Crown Court earlier this month and was sentenced to a total of 17 months in prison.
Sentencing Iqbal, Judge Sally Cahill, QC, said the electorate of Redbridge had been deceived ‘substantially’ by his lies.
Iqbal was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £10,422.54, compensation to Redbridge Council of £10,000 for the by-election costs and compensation to Redbridge Council of £18,368 for the allowances paid to him.
He was reminded of the requirements of a person convicted of a corrupt practice in relation to his current elected post and also the five year ban on holding elected office.
Detective Chief Inspector Sarah McConnell, of the Met's Central Specialist Crime Command, said "This is a significant sentence for this type of offence." adding "It reflects the seriousness with which the court viewed the wrongdoing in an electoral setting."