Lambeth Council boss charged with drug and driving offences

A London council boss who earns almost £190,000 a year has been charged with drugs and driving offenses after allegedly failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

Bayo Dosunmu, chief executive of Lambeth Council, was arrested in Westminster on Sunday (23 June).

The 46-year-old, from Hammersmith, was charged with possession of a controlled class A drug, failing to stop following a road traffic accident, driving a vehicle while over the alcohol limit and driving without insurance.

As head of the south London council, he earns £187,775 a year, according to a document from November 2022.

He also receives an undisclosed fee for being Lambeth’s Electoral Officer for elections.

Each board must appoint someone to ensure that elections are administered effectively and that the voter and candidate experience is positive.

Someone else will now have to be appointed to the role before next Thursday’s general election.

Lambeth Council said an interim chief executive had been appointed.

More politics:
Rishi Sunka’s closest aide interviewed by Gambling Commission
Jeremy Hunt donates £32,000 of his own money to a local party

A council spokesman said: “Lambeth Council Chief Executive Bayo Dosunmu is currently off work and the council has put in place interim management arrangements.

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

Dosunmu was appointed chief executive of the council in 2022 after serving as deputy chief executive and strategic director for resident services.

The council said he got the job after “an extensive executive search process” and was praised by the head of the panel for his “genuine passion and commitment to Lambeth”.

After being appointed, he said: “For me, there is no better organization to lead and no better place to be a public servant than Lambeth. I can’t wait to get started.”

Before working at Lambeth Council, Dosunmu was chief executive of Homes England and also worked for the Olympic Delivery Authority and the Welsh Government.

Dosunmu is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 1.