Tuesday 22 April 2014

Caerphilly Council bosses appear in court


As readers will be aware, this blog has been following events in Caerphilly Council concerning the Chief Executive, his Deputy and also the Head of the Legal department, Daniel Perkins.

The three appeared in Bristol magistrates Court this morning charged with Misconduct in Public Office relating to the prevention of proper scrutiny.
The matter has now been referred to Crown Court. No pleas were entered.

The background can be read here and on this blog, but you may remember the charges followed a police investigation after Wales Audit Office findings of unlawful payments were published in public interest reports.

This is the article from the Western Mail;

Caerphilly council bosses appear in court charged with misconduct in a public office

'A council chief executive and his deputy have appeared in court charged with misconduct in a public office.

Michael Anthony O'Sullivan, 55, chief executive of Caerphilly council, and his deputy Nigel Barnett, 51, appeared alongside Daniel Perkins, 48, who worked in the council's legal department, at Bristol Magistrates' Court.

The three men each face a single charge that they "wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself by deliberately engaging in course of conduct intending to circumvent provisions of the Local Government Act 1972 and prevent proper scrutiny of the senior officer pay award process".

The offence is alleged to have been committed between June 1 and October 10 2012 at Caerphilly council.

During a brief hearing the defendants spoke only to confirm their names, ages and addresses.

The court heard the case could only be tried at Bristol Crown Court and District Judge Joti Bopa-Rai ordered the three men to appear there on May 13.

O'Sullivan, of Ashley Grove, Penydarren Park, Merthyr Tydfil; Barnett, of Cwrt Neuadd Wen, Aberbargoed; and Perkins, of Tudor Crescent, Brynmawr, were all released on unconditional bail.'

Mr Barnett and Mr O'Sullivan (pic source; Western Mail)
Now also on the BBC wales website

2 comments:

Redhead said...

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear ... not looking good for others ...

Anonymous said...

There is hope yet then.We will watch this space.