Channel S - Controversy

Controversy

In June 2007, First Solution Money Transfer, a financial services company run by at least one the managing directors of Channel S went into liquidation owing the public hundreds of thousands of pounds. Mahee Ferdaus Jalil, the chairman of Channel S, filed for an injunction against Bangla TV to prevent allegations of impropriety by Channel S or its Chairman from being broadcast as well as defamations cases against a number of prominent businessmen who had made the allegations.

As of April 2008, Channel S (including other Bengali channels) was under investigation by Ofcom for a breach of the Communications Act 2003, after airing election adverts for the Liberal Democrats during the London mayoral election, 2008. The channel accepted adverts from the local Liberal Democrats candidate, Jalal Rajonuddin. Ofcom found Channel S guilty of breaching the TV Advertising Code.

On 4 August 2008, according to the City of London police, Mahee Ferdous Jalil (Mohammed Ferdhaus) founder of the channel (along with many others) was found guilty, at Croydon Crown Court, of car insurance fraud and sentenced to an 18 months prison term. The group were involved in a plot to make false car insurance claims and were ordered to pay compensation costs to the AXA insurance company. Since the arrest of Mahee, a media war broke out with Channel S and Bangla TV. It was noted that Bangla TV broadcast negative news coverage against Mahee and Channel S, leading to propaganda and different speculations of the event. It raised much concern among the community and politicians, which many thought was an attack against Channel S by Bangla TV. He was released after serving 7 months of his term, as he appeared at the Channel S Community Awards on 30 March 2009.