The mayor of an east London borough who is accused of electoral fraud has told the High Court his council's newspaper was not a "propaganda machine for me".
Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman has been taken to the Election Court by local voters who want his 2014 election to be declared void and re-run.
The claimants say 97% of quotes in the council's community newspaper were from Mr Rahman or members of his cabinet.
He denies any wrongdoing and said "leaders" were the face of the council.
The independent mayor said: "East End Life is a fantastic newspaper."
"It has been around for the last 20 years and it is not a propaganda machine for me."
He said the newspaper was delivered to every household in the borough and added: "Opposition members are placed in the paper."
Francis Hoar, the lawyer representing the four voters, said Mr Rahman had told a "number of lies" over the years and had lied to the court.
"I am not lying," Mr Rahman told Election Commissioner Richard Mawrey, who is sitting as a judge.
