Lambeth Council boss on £190,000 salary charged with drink driving and drug offences

26 June 2024, 12:18 | Updated: 26 June 2024, 14:44

The Chief Executive of a London council has been charged with a string of offences including drink driving, possession of a class A drug and failing to stop after a driving incident.

Bayo Dosunmu, the £190,000-a-year Chief Executive of Lambeth Council, was arrested following the incident in Westminster on Sunday.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that Dosunmu, 46, of Hammersmith, faces charges including possession of a Class A controlled substance, failing to stop after a road accident, being in charge of a vehicle while over the alcohol limit, and driving without insurance.

In a statement, a council spokesperson said: "Lambeth Council chief executive Bayo Dosunmu is currently away from work and the council has put in place interim leadership arrangements.

"We are unable to make any further comment due to an ongoing police investigation."

A Lambeth Council document from November 2022 confirmed he earns £187,775 annually. He also receives a separate payment for his role as Returning Officer, which he was expected to carry out during the General Election.

The Mayor of Lambeth, Cllr John-Paul Ennis, will need to appoint an acting Returning Officer for the General Election counts next week.

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A Lambeth Council document from November 2022 confirmed he earns £187,775 annually. He also receives a separate payment for his role as Returning Officer, which he was expected to carry out during the General Election.

The Mayor of Lambeth, Cllr John-Paul Ennis, will need to appoint an acting Returning Officer for the General Election counts next week.

The Lambeth Conservatives have written to the Leader of Lambeth Council, Claire Holland, expressing their concern over the hiring process and asking what the council's next steps will be.

Dosunmu's appointment as chief executive was made by Labour Councillors Claire Holland, Matthew Bennett, Jacqui Dyer and Rezina Chowdhury, along with Green Councillor Nicole Griffiths. Three candidates were interviewed.

He first joined Lambeth in 2019 as Strategic Director for Resident’s Services. He has previously worked as a senior civil servant in the Welsh Government and was head of transport integration during the 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games.

His government biography says he "is driven by his purpose to make a material difference to people’s lives in service to the public good".

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday August 1.