WARREN Bradley will be summonsed to appear in Liverpool Magistrates Court in March charged with perjury after an electoral fraud investigation by Merseyside Police.
The former Liverpool Council and Liberal Democrat leader is facing a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment after a 10-month police investigation into how his son Daniel came to be nominated to stand in last year's local elections.
The former Lib Dem group leader signed as a witness on the nomination form of his 18-year-old son, who was to stand as a candidate in the Central ward in last year's council elections.
The candidate himself must also sign the form but at the time the teenager told the Daily Post, which carried a series of articles on the issue, that he did not want to stand and that his own signature on the form was “a fake”.
The revelation left Cllr Bradley, 45, of Woodsorrel Road, Wavertree, facing questions as to who he witnessed signing the official paper.
He will be charged under section five of the Perjury Act which forbids any person from making a false statutory declaration. If found guilty it carries a sentence of up to two years imprisonment and/or a fine.
At the time he was leader of the Lib Dem group but resigned the day the allegations were made public.
He was then suspended from the Lib Dems and he is currently facing being banned from the party.
At the time he said: "I totally deny this allegation and am seeking legal advice to that end."
He could not be reached for comment tonight.
A police spokesman said: "Merseyside Police and the Crown Prosecution Service can confirm that Warren Bradley, 45, of Wavertree, has been summonsed to appear at Liverpool City Magistrates Court on March 9 to be charged with one count of perjury under Section 5 of the Perjury Act.
"The summons follows a police investigation into a complaint referred to the force in April 2011.
“Following that investigation a file of evidence was passed to the CPS which took the decision to prosecute."
Cllr Bradley, who represents the city's Wavertree ward, recently announced he would be seeking re-election in May as an independent candidate.
