October 6, 2009
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News: London's Deputy Mayor Pleads Guilty to CC Fraud
London's Mayor, Boris Johnson, is most likely red faced by the recent scandal surrounding his appointed Deputy Mayor. Ian Clement was appointed to office by Johnson shortly after he became London's elected Mayor last year. Clement was accused of fraudulently using the city's credit card to wine and dine two different women. In court proceedings earlier this week, Clement plead guilty to fraud charges surrounding the unauthorized credit card charges. Clement received a lenient punishment for his credit card fraud which included a 12 week suspended prison term, 100 hours of unpaid community service, and a 9 p.m. curfew. During the sentencing, Judge Quentin Purdy told Clement that he acted "flagrantly and arrogantly" and "knew full well" what he was doing.
Mr. Clement has been living carelessly over the past year since he ended his relationship with his son's mother to date a much younger woman. He began using the city's credit card to pay for dinners with his younger companion and claiming them as a business expense. Officials became suspicious of the fraudulent charges when Clement started sending checks into City Hall to cover the personal charges. Clement also used the city credit card to pay for dinning out with another woman. In spite of receiving several warnings to stop using the card for personal expenditures, Clement continued to rack up hundreds of dollars in unauthorized transactions.
Clement will now begin picking up the pieces of his life which has been destroyed by his negligent credit card abuse. He stated in court that he was “truly sorry” for his actions and later outside the Westminster Magistrates Court, made a public apology to Mayor Johnson. Clement was the epitome of the common man making it good as he climbed the ranks from a postman to the Deputy Mayor. Apparently the job rushed to his head because he first abused the card privileges shortly after receiving it to upgrade his flight accommodations for himself and another individual. Other abusive charges included repair work on his Jaguar and several meals at the elite Le Pont De La Tour restaurant at the London Bridge.