Former Thanet Council leader Sandy Ezekiel is to stand trial early next year on charges of fraud and misconduct in public office.

The 59-year-old appeared in the dock at Maidstone Crown Court today with friend Philip Emanuel, 64, who is accused of aiding and abetting fraud.

Ezekiel, of Crow Hill, Broadstairs, denied misconduct in public office between September 22 2009 and February 24 last year.

The misconduct charge alleges that Ezekiel "while acting as a public officer, namely a local councillor, wilfully misconducted himself by improperly using privileged Thanet District Council information in relation to the sale of 12b King Street, Margate, and by directing enforcement procedure by council staff on 12a King Street, which led the owner to sell it to you".

The fraud charge alleges that Ezekiel, "occupying a position as a public official, in which he was expected to safeguard or not act against the financial interests of Thanet District Council, dishonestly abused that position intending to make a gain or cause a loss to another, and by using council staff to enforce Town and Country planning legislation against 12a and 12b King Street, Margate, which led the owner to sell it in breach of section 4 of the Fraud Act 2006".

12A King Street was a derelict shop that had traded as This ‘n’ That.

Council-owned 12B King Street was a Grade II-listed two-bedroomed semi-detached house in the Old Town close to the seafront in a conservation area.

Judge Philip Statman said it was "a high profile case" that would be tried by a High Court judge on February 18.

The trial is expected to last two weeks.

The judge heard two of the witnesses had died. One was Emanuel’s brother David.

Ezekiel, charged as Maurice Ezekiel, and Emanuel, of Laleham Gardens, Margate, had their unconditional bail continued.