A TikTok lawyer, embroiled in money laundering allegations, has expressed strong support for Craig Guildford, just hours following the former chief constable’s resignation due to the Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban controversy.

Based in Birmingham, Akhmed Yakoob, a criminal lawyer and fervent pro-Palestinian advocate, conveyed to his 217,000 TikTok followers that Guildford was a “man of integrity.” He criticized the government, asserting they should feel “ashamed” over Guildford’s resignation.

Guildford stepped down on Friday after days of resisting mounting pressure to resign, including demands from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who expressed her loss of confidence in him amidst the scandal.

The former police chief might now face a misconduct probe by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), following a report that uncovered how police fabricated and exaggerated evidence to justify banning Israeli fans from attending last November’s Aston Villa vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv game in Birmingham.

Yakoob, recognized for his affinity for luxury cars and flashy jewelry, announced on his TikTok account on Saturday the launch of a fundraising initiative to support the embattled police chief with “anything he may need.”

Sporting his signature designer sunglasses, the 37-year-old political hopeful stated, “The central government should be ashamed for pressuring such an honest person.”

‘We stand with Craig Guildford, we will provide moral support and the people of West Midlands have also decided to set up a GoFundMe page to support Craig Guildford financially in anything he may need.’

His support for Guildford follows a series of posts made by Yakoob in the days running up to last November’s controversial football game, announcing that it was ‘good news’ the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans had been banned.

Birmingham-based criminal lawyer Akhmed Yakoob pledged to ‘stand with Craig Guildford’ just hours after the disgraced chief constable retired over the Maccabi Tel Aviv scandal

Controversial TikTok lawyer Yakoob is known for his love of fast cars and snazzy jewellery

Former police boss Craig Guildford stepped down in disgrace after a report revealed how evidence was fabricated by West Midlands Police to justify the Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban

He said in one video: ‘We need to unite because we need to send a clear message to the Israeli establishment that we will not stand with any sort of genocide and we will stand with the Palestinians.

‘Netanyahu will know and will receive a strong message when Maccabi Tel Aviv does not play at Villa.’

In another made just four days before the match on November 6, Yakoob was seen standing outside Villa Park wearing an Aston Villa shirt while pronouncing it was ‘game over for Maccabi Tel Aviv and Israel’.

He added: ‘Protestors are coming from all over the UK. Peacefully, we’re going to protest with our families and let people know the frustration we have – Israel should not be in FIFA.

‘We will not just remain silent when genocidal complicit [sic] come in and play football in our city. Remember that. We want to send a clear message of peace and justice.’

Father-of-four Yakoob, who has four brothers and four sisters, was born in Birmingham in 1988. His father came to Britain from Pakistan in the 1970s.

Yakoob joined Maurice Andrews Solicitors in 2014, where he worked under the mentorship of Mr Andrews, the company’s director.

With a substantial following on TikTok, the colourful lawyer complains about poor local bus services, unemployment, rubbish-strewn streets, lethally low NHS response times – and the conflict in Gaza.

Yakoob is staunchly pro-Palestinian and regularly refers to the conflict in his TikTok videos. Pictured: The lawyer arriving ahead of the West Midlands mayoral count in 2024 

Yakoob, pictured left, made a series of posts in the days running up to last November’s controversial match, announcing that it was ‘good news’ Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were banned

The solicitor is due to stand trial in 2027 on charges of money laundering. Pictured: Yakoob outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court last June

His viral clips carry headline captions such as ‘NHS failure’, ‘Our streets are filthy’, and ‘They have done nothing’.

In 2024 he entered the political arena twice – first as a candidate in the West Midlands mayoral race, where he finished third against Conservative incumbent Andy Street.

He then stood again in the General Election as an independent candidate in Shabana Mahmood’s constituency of Birmingham Ladywood. He finished in second place against the Home Secretary with 12,137 votes compared to her 15,558.

Yakoob was also at the centre of a controversy in July 2024, when he represented two brothers involved in a brawl with police officers at Manchester Airport.

He later stepped aside from the pair claiming the media had ‘made the situation about me rather than police brutality and police misconduct’.

Yakoob of Perry Barr, Birmingham, is due to stand trial in 2027 on charges of money laundering; encouraging money laundering; and contravening a requirement to apply customer due diligence measures when establishing a business relationship.

Accountant Nabeel Afzal, 38, of Edgbaston, faces the same charges.