Leicestershire Constabulary are Seeking Advice Regarding Oakham Town Council Payments
Leicestershire Constabulary Seeking Advice Regarding Oakham Town Council Payments to past ChairmansAt the last meeting of Oakham Town Council the Clerk admitted previous Chairman's / Mayors had not accounted for their expenses.
I feel this is worse than the MP's expenses scandal at least they provided receipts.
I first questioned the payments in 2009 and was told by the Clerk the Chairman / Mayor was entitled to the payments tax free. Cllr Fillingham was paid around £2,000 and attended very few meetings due to illness.
I was told back then she would not be returning any of the money because she was entitled to it.
The current internal auditor has ruled this unacceptable and should not have happened and this year the Chairman / Mayor must provide receipts for all her expenses. Something I would think the tax payer would expect and surely a highly paid Clerk would have expected. As I said before he is either incompetent or corrupt.
I don't know the full figure that has been paid since Richard White has been the Clerk, he was very clear in what he said at the last meeting this had happened and can not continue.
At the same meeting new councillors raised the same concerns about how the Clerk presents accounts to members. The same things were said, when I was new. Maybe with a little more tact, I described them using the words of a accountant friend they are rubbish and then Clerk complained to Standards and said I was bullying him, I apologised if he felt I was bullying him and he accepted that. I mentioned this at the last council meeting and reminded him of the tribunal and he aggressively said I am glad!
At the same meeting the Clerk said the accounts had improved since he became Clerk, When he took over he said everthing was in a terrible mess. I wonder if Mr Adams would agree with that claim.
He has since told me he is a good friend of Roger Begy Leader of Rutland County Council, so it doesn't surprise me that so many of his complaints against me were fast tracked through the local standards to Standards for England.
I guess the easy way for this to be dealt with is if past Chairman's who have not accounted for their expenses correctly should get their cheque books out and return the money to the council.
I always wondered why these people have been so determined to see me removed from the council. It would appear what I have said many times before is becoming true this council has a lot to hide!
It will be interesting to see how far Leicestershire Constabulary will look into the financial affairs of the council.
Or is time the external auditor listened and took a look and stopped listening to Rutland County Council and the Clerk when they tell the auditor don't worry Brookes is just mad ignore him.
The internal auditor has picked up on one item that they tried to shut me up about.
