Streets Accountants
Dear Sirs,
Re: Oakham Town Council Accounts
Today I spoke with a Councillor
I spoke with them because I am planning to meet your visiting auditor on Tuesday 21st July 2015.
I told the councillor I would be raising the issue of possible fraud relating to the
two cash book entries and a issue with the debt.
Which appear to show missing monies received from Body Power Fitness Ltd.
I was told if I was to raise this matter, you may consider it not possible for you to issue the
council with its desired certificate. I find this an extraordinary comment and would hope you
were not willing to white wash over anything to do with these public accounts.
I was further surprised to hear the entries relating to the rent payments not received, but
entered as received were both entered on the same day. How is it possible to make
two such mistakes on the same day? Also it would appear to be the same happened for some other debt.
It is my belief that someone at Oakham Town Council may have committed fraud
by attempting to clear the outstanding liability of private individuals connected
to Body Power Fitness Ltd which has applied for dissolution.
Oakham Town Council has made little or no effort to claim six months rent
due to the taxpayers from these private individuals.
Even though the council had declared in a meeting some time ago all money due should
be paid to the council in accordance with the terms of the lease, no action was
taken and even worse the Clerk and a Councillor added to the cost to seek
legal advice for something that was so very obviously laid down in the conditions of
the lease.
A brief history.
A couple who are known to the Mayor of Oakham asked to take on the
lease of the old gym. One of the them at the time sat on at least one Rutland Committee
of which Cllr Alf Dewis our Mayor sat on.
In 2012 a quarter of the councils yearly income was spent on making
the property suitable for the new tenants. New showers and more. all
soon to be disposed.
The Mayor at the time was Cllr Alf Dewis arranged two official
openings, both reported by the press.
Before work started the property was valued by Steven Reid in 2012, it was in a poor condition.
He suggested even in its poor state the council could rent it out for £1200 a month,
this was disclosed in an exempt part of the meeting, Oakham Town Council has since been told by legal advisers
The Fitness Centre / Gym could not be discussed as an exempt item.
The tenants moved in to fully refurbished building at a £64,000 cost to
the taxpayer.
At the time the works were not tendered, I can remember the
deputy Mayor Cllr Lowe almost falling of his seat and saying "I did not think
the work would cost that much"
The tenants have now abandoned the property after only be asked to pay
£750 a month rent and not before the council was persuaded by the Clerk to
agree spending a further £2000+ on replacing a fence which the tenants were
responsible for. A councillor did raise a question about this at a meeting
and the Clerk said "oh the tenants will be responsible for the fence
once we have paid for the new one"
On the 10th June 2015 I and all other Councillors were asked
to approve the 2014 - 2015 accounts. I looked through a set
of poorly presented accounts and found a error and stopped
looking further.
The error I spotted was the rent arrears due from Body Power
Fitness Ltd the arrears were not shown. At the time I thought
it would be noted and amended. Instead the Town Clerk
told me and two others I was wrong, despite this other members
accepted the accounts.
After the meeting we were told the accepted accounts were incorrect.
I was not told until the latest possible point that what I
had found was one of the issues.
I attempted to raise this again at special meeting on the 29th
June 2015 and was obstructed and excluded from the meeting
By The Mayor Cllr Alf Dewis.
Members moved to a office, the meeting was not formally
reconvened and the amended statement of accounts was
approved. They council now realises that the meeting was
not formally reconvened in the office and the draft minutes make no
mention of the meeting held in the closed office.
This means the council currently holds a approved and
signed defaced annual return.
Due to the predetermination and the Clerk, he altered the
return before the meeting of the 29th June 2015.
All the history and actions of the Chairman and Clerk
strongly suggest to me, it is correct for me to suspect
fraud relating to money owed by the councils former
tenants who owned body power fitness Ltd.
This had been reported to the City Of London Police
who are awaiting the outcome of your findings.
Cllr Blanksby is constantly telling me I am wasting public
money by calling you in. This is unacceptable we must
be seen to be accounting for taxpayers money correctly.
Each day we have been told more minor errors have
been found.
The current situation regarding Oakham Town Councils
Accounts is not giving me much confidence, I can
not turn to my electorate and tell them everything
is fine with their money.
The Council has not been able to approve the finances this
month. The Clerk and Chairman have withheld schedule of payments
and statements of accounts this month "due to the current
situation" whatever that is?
From
Cllr Martin Brookes
Dear Sirs,
Re: Oakham Town Council Accounts
Today I spoke with a Councillor
I spoke with them because I am planning to meet your visiting auditor on Tuesday 21st July 2015.
I told the councillor I would be raising the issue of possible fraud relating to the
two cash book entries and a issue with the debt.
Which appear to show missing monies received from Body Power Fitness Ltd.
I was told if I was to raise this matter, you may consider it not possible for you to issue the
council with its desired certificate. I find this an extraordinary comment and would hope you
were not willing to white wash over anything to do with these public accounts.
I was further surprised to hear the entries relating to the rent payments not received, but
entered as received were both entered on the same day. How is it possible to make
two such mistakes on the same day? Also it would appear to be the same happened for some other debt.
It is my belief that someone at Oakham Town Council may have committed fraud
by attempting to clear the outstanding liability of private individuals connected
to Body Power Fitness Ltd which has applied for dissolution.
Oakham Town Council has made little or no effort to claim six months rent
due to the taxpayers from these private individuals.
Even though the council had declared in a meeting some time ago all money due should
be paid to the council in accordance with the terms of the lease, no action was
taken and even worse the Clerk and a Councillor added to the cost to seek
legal advice for something that was so very obviously laid down in the conditions of
the lease.
A brief history.
A couple who are known to the Mayor of Oakham asked to take on the
lease of the old gym. One of the them at the time sat on at least one Rutland Committee
of which Cllr Alf Dewis our Mayor sat on.
In 2012 a quarter of the councils yearly income was spent on making
the property suitable for the new tenants. New showers and more. all
soon to be disposed.
The Mayor at the time was Cllr Alf Dewis arranged two official
openings, both reported by the press.
Before work started the property was valued by Steven Reid in 2012, it was in a poor condition.
He suggested even in its poor state the council could rent it out for £1200 a month,
this was disclosed in an exempt part of the meeting, Oakham Town Council has since been told by legal advisers
The Fitness Centre / Gym could not be discussed as an exempt item.
The tenants moved in to fully refurbished building at a £64,000 cost to
the taxpayer.
At the time the works were not tendered, I can remember the
deputy Mayor Cllr Lowe almost falling of his seat and saying "I did not think
the work would cost that much"
The tenants have now abandoned the property after only be asked to pay
£750 a month rent and not before the council was persuaded by the Clerk to
agree spending a further £2000+ on replacing a fence which the tenants were
responsible for. A councillor did raise a question about this at a meeting
and the Clerk said "oh the tenants will be responsible for the fence
once we have paid for the new one"
On the 10th June 2015 I and all other Councillors were asked
to approve the 2014 - 2015 accounts. I looked through a set
of poorly presented accounts and found a error and stopped
looking further.
The error I spotted was the rent arrears due from Body Power
Fitness Ltd the arrears were not shown. At the time I thought
it would be noted and amended. Instead the Town Clerk
told me and two others I was wrong, despite this other members
accepted the accounts.
After the meeting we were told the accepted accounts were incorrect.
I was not told until the latest possible point that what I
had found was one of the issues.
I attempted to raise this again at special meeting on the 29th
June 2015 and was obstructed and excluded from the meeting
By The Mayor Cllr Alf Dewis.
Members moved to a office, the meeting was not formally
reconvened and the amended statement of accounts was
approved. They council now realises that the meeting was
not formally reconvened in the office and the draft minutes make no
mention of the meeting held in the closed office.
This means the council currently holds a approved and
signed defaced annual return.
Due to the predetermination and the Clerk, he altered the
return before the meeting of the 29th June 2015.
All the history and actions of the Chairman and Clerk
strongly suggest to me, it is correct for me to suspect
fraud relating to money owed by the councils former
tenants who owned body power fitness Ltd.
This had been reported to the City Of London Police
who are awaiting the outcome of your findings.
Cllr Blanksby is constantly telling me I am wasting public
money by calling you in. This is unacceptable we must
be seen to be accounting for taxpayers money correctly.
Each day we have been told more minor errors have
been found.
The current situation regarding Oakham Town Councils
Accounts is not giving me much confidence, I can
not turn to my electorate and tell them everything
is fine with their money.
The Council has not been able to approve the finances this
month. The Clerk and Chairman have withheld schedule of payments
and statements of accounts this month "due to the current
situation" whatever that is?
From
Cllr Martin Brookes
