When Amjad Bashir sensationally defected to the Conservatives last week, Ukip leader Nigel Farage claimed his party had been 'begging' him to drop the MEP after being 'increasingly alarmed by his behaviour over the last few months'. But The Mail on Sunday can reveal the party was warned about his links with a convicted criminal a year ago – months before he was elected to the European Parliament. Local activists urged Ukip chairman Steve Crowther to investigate claims Mr Bashir 'was joined at the hip' to Mujeeb Bhutto - a former Ukip spokesman who was forced to resign from the party when it emerged he had masterminded a £56,000 kidnapping plot in Pakistan.
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Ukip leader Nigel Farage claims his party 'begged' him to drop Amjad Bashir
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But party knew about his links to convicted criminal before he became  MEP
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He was allegedly 'joined at the hip' to former Ukip spokesman Mujeeb Bhutto
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Mr Bhutto forced to resign after revelation he masterminded kidnapping plot
Revelation: @placeholder knew about Amjad Bashir's (left) links to alleged kidnapper Mujeeb Bhutto (right) before the Tory defector became an MEP