The Mayor of London’s closest aide was forced to quit on Tuesday night after steamy e-mails he sent to an Indian colleague were exposed.
In e-mails sent in June 2006, Lee Jasper calls Karen Chouhan sexy and professes his love for her
LONDON: The Mayor of London’s closest aide was forced to quit on Tuesday night after steamy e-mails he sent to an Indian colleague were exposed.
“I love thee(sic) ankles, legs, thighs, bum and belly, arms, head and brain. But most of all I love you in a flaming red sari, bangles, chains or failing that in a bikini!” wrote Lee Jasper to Karen Chouhan.
Jasper was Mayor Ken Livingstone’s closest aide and had been advising him on the crucial mayoral election. The 49-year-old married father of two was forced to resign after a string of allegations that he channelled £1,00,000 of taxpayer's money to projects run by the woman whom he bombarded with sexually charged e-mails.
Chouhan — the object of his affection — denies any sexual relations with Jasper and dismissed the e-mails as simple banter. "I have known Lee for 22 years, nothing was going on, it was banter. It wouldn't surprise me if that kind of language had been used," said Chouhan. "There is a very close bond. We're often seen together, but I am a happily married woman," added Chouhan.
Fifty-year-old Chouhan is of Gujarati-origin and lives in Leicester with her husband Jagdish, a university lecturer and their three children.
She is the company secretary of the 1990 Trust and director of the Black Londoners' Forum. Days after sending the sexually-laden e-mails, the 1990 Trust received £65,000 from City Hall after a recommendation by Jasper.
Jasper is accused of not disclosing to the Mayor his relationship with Chouhan. The Evening Standard reproduced e-mails they have dug up. On June 23 last year, Jasper wrote to Chouhan, "happy birthday my gorgeous, wonderful, sexy Kazzi… Darling I want to whisk you away to a deserted island beach, honey glase you (and) let you cook slowly before a torrid and passionate embrace… You are indeed greatly loved up, magnificently appreciated and at the moment sorely missed. Once back its candles and dinner and a special prezzie from Jamaica.”
Jasper blamed the ‘racist’ nature of a relentless ‘media campaign’ against him for his resignation. However, Atma Singh, the Mayor’s former adviser on the Asian community disputed his claims. “This is nothing to do with racism. The media has every right to question what the Mayor’s officers are doing with public money,” said Singh.
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