A fraud investigation into a Haringey Council property deal is still ongoing, the Metropolitan Police Service has told the Ham&High.

However, there have still been no arrests or charges after more than three years.

Police launched a fraud investigation after being contacted in March 2021 with allegations linked to a council property development in Muswell Hill.

However, it is not known who filed the police report or what the nature of the supposed fraud is alleged to have been.

We revealed in February 2022 that some councillors had been questioned in voluntary interviews.

The Ham&High learned the identity of one of the interviewed councillors but they urged us not to name them, claiming they believed they would be in physical danger if identified.

Police were tight-lipped when we approached them for an update last week, after former Highgate councillor Clive Carter urged a court to force Haringey to disclose “secret” documents about contentious property deals, including the one at the heart of this police probe.

The force would only say that the case remains active but there have been no arrests.

The investigation relates to Woodside Avenue, where Haringey Council once planned to demolish a row of houses and the former Cranwood care home, then replace them with a block of flats.

Ham & High: Haringey Council planned to demolish this row of houses in Woodside Avenue, Muswell Hill, to make way for a block of flats. It spent £2.15m on an £850,000 house to facilitate the scheme - then cancelled itHaringey Council planned to demolish this row of houses in Woodside Avenue, Muswell Hill, to make way for a block of flats. It spent £2.15m on an £850,000 house to facilitate the scheme - then cancelled it (Image: Google Streetview)

The council paid £2.15 million for a house valued at £850,000 in order to facilitate the scheme – but abandoned its plan to demolish the houses shortly after paying out.

When a neighbour complained to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) about not being treated the same as the owner who received £2.15 million, council officers refused to have over evidence.

The LGO found against Haringey and council leader Cllr Peray Ahmet claimed officers had withheld evidence from the investigator without her knowledge or consent.

The Cranwood scheme was one of several property deals referred to external investigator Chris Buss following a series of reports by the Ham&High.

However, his final report said that due to the ongoing criminal investigation, the Met had asked him not to interview a list of people linked to the Cranwood scheme.

Mr Buss’s investigation did find evidence of confidential council information being leaked to a property developer, but it was not clear what development or deal it related to.

Cllr Ahmet said, upon the report’s publication in April 2023, that the report would be handed to police.

The force confirmed last week that the case is “still ongoing”.

Haringey Council did not respond to a request for comment.