West Yorkshire Police 'reviewing allegations' over £3m Wakefield Trinity stadium deal

Police say they have received new allegations relating to the deal which saw Wakefield Trinity buy their home ground with the help of a taxpayer loan.
The club bought the ground off third party property magnate Manni Hussain in 2019.The club bought the ground off third party property magnate Manni Hussain in 2019.
The club bought the ground off third party property magnate Manni Hussain in 2019.

The Super League club purchased Belle Vue off a third party, Manni Hussain, in March 2019 with £3m lent to them by Wakefield Council.

A spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Police said: "West Yorkshire Police have recently received allegations that concern the sale of the Wakefield Stadium in 2019 and these remain under review.'

The exact nature of the allegations has not been disclosed.

The club and council declined to comment on the police's statement.The club and council declined to comment on the police's statement.
The club and council declined to comment on the police's statement.
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It was revealed earlier this year that the National Crime Agency (NCA) were looking into the circumstances surrounding the deal, as part of a wider probe into Mr Hussain’s business activities.

The NCA later recouped £10m in property and cash from Mr Hussain, who they said had multiple links to organised criminals.

A source close to that investigation said that £600,000 of the £10m recovered came from money Mr Hussain received from selling the ground.

Police say the claims they are looking at are unconnected to the NCA's own enquiries into the matter, which are understood to have finished.

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Both Wakefield Council and Wakefield Trinity declined to comment.

The deal for Trinity to buy the ground was struck after long-term plans to move the club to a new 12,000 community stadium on Newmarket Lane in Stanley never came to fruition.

Papers leaked to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) after the deal showed that Belle Vue sold for nearly twice its estimated value.

Supporters say that upgrading on Belle Vue's current facilities is vital to secure the club’s long-term future and Trinity submitted a planning application detailing its proposals last month.

Local Democracy Reporting Service