Four men from Kirklees have been charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, accused of helping a man escape the country before he was convicted of serious sexual offences.
Prosecutors allege the men assisted Asif Ali, 56, from Batley, who failed to attend court in December 2023 while on trial for non-recent sexual offences. Ali was later found guilty in his absence and, in April 2024, was sentenced to 24 years in prison, including convictions for 14 counts of rape. He remains at large.
The four men charged are:
Ahsan Ul-Haq, 55, of Trueman Avenue, Heckmondwike
Daniyal Hussain, 24, of Ealand Crescent, Batley
Mohammed Assad, 25, of Trueman Avenue, Heckmondwike
Junaid Khan, 26, of Marsland Street, Wakefield
All four are accused of conspiring to pervert the course of justice between 26 November 2023 and 17 February 2024.
In addition, Daniyal Hussain and Junaid Khan are charged with failing to comply with a Section 49 notice, relating to the disclosure of encryption keys to protected information.
Ahsan Ul-Haq and Daniyal Hussain are due to appear before Kirklees Magistrates’ Court on 4 March, while Mohammed Assad and Junaid Khan are scheduled to appear at the same court on 18 March.
Police say enquiries are ongoing to trace Ali and are urging anyone with information about his whereabouts to come forward.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Kirklees Police by calling 101 or via the force’s online live chat, quoting crime reference 13230669779.
Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
