A landlord prosecuted for breaking housing rules claims he was defamed after a council “wrongfully accused him of trafficking Albanian immigrants”.
Carmine Salamone, of Gaywood, who was fined a total of £13,850, has lodged a formal complaint with West Norfolk Council over its handling of his case.
The 59-year-old, who has been a landlord for more than 30 years, has also appealed to the Upper Tribunal to have his conviction reviewed, believing “unsubstantiated” allegations by the council prejudiced his case.
Mr Salamone, who has lived in the UK since 1981 after moving from Italy at the age of 14, was convicted in June last year at Lynn Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to two counts of breaching prohibition orders at HMO (houses of multiple occupation) where he was landlord, for letting rooms for people to sleep in at two properties. This relates to allowing tenants to sleep in a room accessed off the kitchen, which is considered a hazard.
Earlier this year, he sought to appeal that decision at the First-Tier level, claiming the council was wrong to assess the properties as HMOs. But this was refused and he has now progressed his claim to the Upper Tribunal for review.
But in his complaint to the borough council, Mr Salamone claims that within the council’s submissions to an application for the initial appeal, the authority “introduced an entirely unsubstantiated allegation that I had trafficked Albanian immigrants.”
“This is an outrageous, defamatory suggestion,” he added. In his complaint, he continued: “I am Italian, I have never trafficked anyone, nor have I ever been investigated for doing so.”
Mr Salamone said the council changed its wording to say he had been “housing Albanian immigrants unlawfully” after being challenged but he insists this is also “wholly untrue”.
“This was a deliberate attempt to inflame prejudice and bias the Tribunal against me,” he has claimed. “Such a claim, unsupported by evidence, has irreparably damaged my reputation.”
In the council’s submission, officers reported on speculation, made by a number of Mr Salamone’s tenants, that several Albanians had periodically stayed at one of his properties.
An officer said the tenants raised concerns that Mr Salamone was also involved in trafficking Albanians.
The tenants said they paid with cash and that Mr Salamone attempted to “block the view” of the transaction from another tenant.
A council officer said: “I am concerned he is not doing the Right to Rent landlord checks and the activity is of additional concern re trafficking.”
Mr Salamone claims the council did not verify these claims, nor corroborate them with any physical evidence.
He says the statements the council relied on were not made officially as a witness statement and that he had fallen out with one of the tenants due to them owing rent.
Following the allegations, he has called on the council to conduct an internal investigation into the matter and is calling for compensation.
Mr Salamone said he has been “treated like a criminal without charge, without cause and without due process”.
“I now feel I am being targeted for who I am, not for anything I have done,” he added.
The landlord is currently waiting to hear if his Upper Tribunal appeal can proceed.
He says he is also facing the risk of being banned from being a landlord by the council.
A spokesperson for West Norfolk Council said it could not comment due to the ongoing legal proceedings.
