HAMTRAMCK — The City Council has rejected two proposals to remove Council members Muhith Mahmood and Abu Musa, who are respectively running in this year’s mayoral and City Council elections, following the recent launch of a Michigan State Police investigation into allegations against them for violating residency requirements for local office candidacy in 2021.

On May 13, the Council voted to allow the two members — who are both of Bangladeshi origin — to remain in their positions until the end of their terms early next year. The decision sparked widespread controversy among residents and officials, prompting the Hamtramck Police Department to refer the case to the Michigan State Police to verify the findings of a private investigative firm. This firm had previously concluded that both members reside outside the city.

The investigations revealed that Mahmood resides in Warren, while Musa lives in Troy, both considered violations of the Hamtramck City Charter, which requires candidates for local office to have resided in the city for at least one year, in addition to having no outstanding tax debts.

The investigative procedures by Advantage Investigations, the private firm hired for the case, included placing GPS tracking devices on Mahmood’s and Musa’s vehicles, monitoring them, conducting random visits to their supposed residences and speaking with neighbors and local residents. The findings were presented to the City Council during an emergency meeting on April 25, but no official action was taken at the time due to the lack of a quorum.

Hamtramck Police officials confirmed the accuracy of the investigative report, stating that the allegations it contains are serious enough to merit referral to the Michigan State Police, which began its investigation last Wednesday. If the allegations are substantiated, the members could face criminal charges, including fraud and perjury.

During the contentious Council meeting on Tuesday, which included public comments and heated discussions among city officials, both Mahmood and Musa presented legal evidence, including property deeds and tax records, claiming they have lived in Hamtramck for years. They described the accusations as an “unjust smear campaign.”

Mahmood stated that he moved from Warren to Hamtramck in July 2021, which, according to Hamtramck City Clerk Ranya Faraj, means he did not meet the one-year residency requirement to run for City Council in that year. When she brought that up, he responded, “Your job is to take notes.”

Despite recent revelations that Mahmood owes more than $32,000 in back taxes, the Council voted almost unanimously, with the exception of Councilman Muhtasin Sadman, against removing him. The Council also unanimously voted to keep Musa in office, with Councilman Khalil Refai stressing that there was insufficient evidence to warrant their removal.

Mayor Amer Ghalib noted that previous city officials often spent extended time outside Hamtramck for personal reasons, such as caring for loved ones, without being deemed in violation of residency requirements. He added that some truck drivers also spend long periods away from the city yet maintain their residency status.

The meeting featured numerous comments from residents, some of whom expressed support for Mahmood and Musa, stating they regularly see their cars parked outside their homes in Hamtramck. Others called for their immediate removal, arguing that their absence from the city was evidence of violating local representation rules.

Meanwhile, Faraj confirmed that both Mahmood and Musa will appear on this year’s election ballot. Musa is seeking re-election for another four-year term, while Mahmood is running for mayor against three other candidates in the August 5 primary election.

The Hamtramck City Council elections will also include a race for three full four-year seats, which will become vacant early next year with the end of the terms of Muhith Mahmood, Abu Musa and Khalil Refai. The preliminary list of candidates for the August primaries includes 12 contenders.