A CONTROVERSIAL politician who is standing as a parliamentary candidate in the General Election is under investigation after claims he abused his position when he was a councillor, the Times can reveal. Atiq Malik, who is vying for the much sought after B

A CONTROVERSIAL politician who is standing as a parliamentary candidate in the General Election is under investigation after claims he abused his position when he was a councillor, the Times can reveal.

Atiq Malik, who is vying for the much sought after Brent Central seat as an independent MP, is being probed for the second time in two years for an alleged breach of the code of conduct by the Standards Board for England (SBE).

The Times cannot disclose the nature of the allegations made against Mr Malik for legal reasons.

Since Mr Malik became a councillor in the Queensbury ward in 2006 he has become embroiled in a number of controversies, including his defection from the Conservative Party to the Democratic Conservative Group, a splinter party he set up with fellow former Tory ward Cllr Robert Dunwell.

Both men were subsequently booted out of the national Conservative Party.

In June 2008, Mr Malik was reported to the SBE after he was accused of illegally copying a private letter from a solicitor to another councillor, which was subsequently distributed in the Kenton ward.

He was cleared by the SBE six months later.

In February 2009, the Times exclusively revealed that Mr Malik had caused outrage by seemingly advocating the introduction of the stoning to death of married women who have affairs.

He had posted comments on a website that was discussing Sharia Law.

The law, which is enforced in several Muslim countries, governs both civil and criminal justice as well as regulating individual conduct, both personal and moral.

Mr Malik also suggested that unmarried women who had sex should be whipped and that Sharia Law should be an option in the UK for Muslims wanting to settle disputes.

After recently declaring himself as an independent candidate for the forthcoming General Election, Mr Malik told the Times he would be representing the people and not a political party.

At the time he said: "I will fight to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, keep our GPs and services in the community, support local businesses and help create local jobs.

"I assure you that I will not take on any second jobs, never employ members of my family, and not accept gifts or hospitality from lobbyists or interest groups."

A SBE spokeswoman told the Times: "We can confirm that an allegation relating to Mr Atiq Malik was referred to SBE by the London Borough of Brent's Standards Committee on March 24, 2010 and has been referred to an Ethical Standards Officer for investigation."

Mr Malik failed to return calls from the Times.

lorraine.king@archant.co.uk