News

Grants scandal: Council rejected offer of repayment

Published

9 years ago

May 3, 2016

Tom Sinclair

Cllr Mike Stoddart: Tax payer money, we have a right to know

IN AN effort to clear up the mystery of repayment of grant monies for schemes in Pembroke Dock, Hakin councillor Mike Stoddart has put down a notice of motion for the next meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC).

According to C llr Stoddart, in early 2014 developer Cathal McCosker offered to pay back the whole of the £180,000 in grants he had received for four projects (10 Meyrick Street and Nos 25, 27 and 29 Dimond Street) in Pembroke Dock.

The offer came after the council demanded that he should produce bank statements as proof of payment to the builder, as required by the grant agreement,

Cllr Stoddart claims that, during a meeting with officers from the Wales European Funding Office (WEFO) in the summer of 2014, he was told that, rather than produce the bank statements, Mr McCosker said he would repay all the monies received for the four properties with the Meyrick Street grant being paid back immediately and the rest within 12 months.

In the meantime, because of irregularities in the grant payments discovered by Cllr Stoddart, the council had to return the £180,000 to WEFO, so, until such time as the money is recovered from Mr McCosker, it isn’t available to support regeneration projects in Pembroke and Pembroke Dock.

That prompted him to put down a motion to the council meeting in December 2014 calling for all correspondence on the subject of grant repayments to be made available to elected members. That was not adopted, but council agreed on a recorded vote that members of the audit committee should have access to the documents on a confidential basis.

“It seems that the issue has disappeared into the long grass because nothing has been heard since” Mike Stoddart told the Herald.

During PCC’s public audit inspection in July 2015, the Hakin councillor discovered that an invoice had been raised against Mr McCosker for £189,000 – the amount of grant to be repaid.

However, there was no record of any repayments being made.

When he made enquiries with the council’s finance department he was told “Payments are being made and monitored but at the current level they will take years to recover”

Mike Stoddart has made a series of emails available to the Herald which paint a very confused picture.

On 31 March 2016 was told: “Mr McCosker is repaying the debt and the payments are going to an account in his personal name”

This email also contained an extract from a statement the council had made to the police: “A letter was received by PCC from Mr McCosker offering to repay the £189,000, this was dismissed.”

Clearly, the claim that the repayment offer had been “dismissed” was not consistent with the statement in the same email that “Mr McCosker is repaying the debt”

When Cllr Stoddart sought clarification he was told: “to date £18,000 has been collected towards the debt.”

So, two years after Mr McCosker offered to pay back the whole of the £180,000 within twelve months, only 10% has been collected and, for some as yet unexplained reason, that has been paid into an account in Mr McCosker’s personal name.

Mike Stoddart told the Herald: “This is taxpayers’ money and people have the right to know what is going on. When my notice of motion comes before the council I will be calling for a recorded vote so that the electorate can see who is for openness and transparency and who isn’t”

Crime

Man jailed for Pembroke Dock cannabis farm involvement

Published

13 mins ago

November 15, 2024

Madeline Knox

AN ALBANIAN man, Armando Beti, 37, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison at Swansea Crown Court on Friday (Nov 15) for his role in producing class B drugs.

Beti, who has prior convictions in 2022 and 2023, was arrested on October 3, 2024, at 10:00am after police found him hiding in a neighbouring building’s attic. The arrest followed a raid on the former Woolworths building on Dimond Street, Pembroke Dock, where officers discovered three rooms containing 594 cannabis plants. The crop was described as part of a wholesale operation, with an estimated street value of between £64,000 and £196,000, depending on yield.

Using an aerial drone, police tracked Beti as he attempted to escape by crossing two rooftops. He pleaded guilty immediately after his capture, claiming the cannabis farm was already operational when he arrived 10 days earlier. Beti described himself as merely the gardener, tasked with watering the plants, and alleged he was coerced into the role by individuals he met at an immigration detention centre to repay a debt.

Beti’s defence counsel stated: “He is under no illusion regarding the seriousness of his offending. He is eager to start his prison sentence so he can ultimately reunite with his wife in Albania.”

However, Judge Geraint Walters rejected Beti’s claims, citing a pattern of similar excuses in previous cases. The judge noted that Beti had been convicted in Cardiff in 2022 for cultivating over 600 cannabis plants, during which he also claimed to be a coerced gardener with little knowledge of the operation.

In delivering the sentence, Judge Walters said: “People like you need to understand that judges are not completely naive. We know what is going on. We are well aware of the activities of criminal Albanian gangs in this country, as are you.”

Police believe the operation uncovered in Pembroke Dock is linked to a wider network of organised crime targeting rural locations for cannabis cultivation.

Community

Pembs Agricultural Society’s Christmas Fair expands to an all-weekend event

Published

4 hours ago

November 15, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKESHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY’S Christmas Fair will be an all-weekend event next month. The Christmas shopping extravaganza is all set to take place on Saturday, 14 December as well as Sunday, 15 December.

The Parkhouse building on the Haverfordwest Showground will be transformed into a Christmas paradise. There will be even more stalls this year with a wide variety of quality local businesses exhibiting as well as festive music, Santa in his Grotto and an outdoor food court.

Judith Roach and Emma Thomas, the event organisers, said, “We are excited to be able to announce that our Christmas Fair will be on for two days rather than just one this year. We continue to build on the success of last year’s event with twice the opportunities to attend and even more stallholders. It will be the perfect start to the festive season as the Parkhouse Building will be transformed into a one-stop-shop for those preparing for Christmas.”

The Fair will be open from 10am until 4pm and admission is free. Visitors will find unique gifts, handmade decorations, art and beautiful homeware. Some of the county’s very best food and drink producers will also have stalls to give visitors the opportunity to stock up on all their festive treats. From decadent chocolate brownies, fudge, festive spirits to Welsh cheeses, there’s something to tantalise everyone’s tastebuds. There will also be a range of outlets for ‘on the go’ eating and drinking.

One special guest at the event will be everyone’s favourite bearded gentleman in red – Santa will be taking time out from his busy schedule to attend the event. There will be a charge of £3 per child to visit Santa and all proceeds will go directly to Sandy Bear charity to support their work. Each child will receive a small gift from Santa as part of their visit. Parents can book in advance via the website: www.sandybear.co.uk/santa

Adam Thorne, Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s President is looking forward to the festive event. He said, “The Society would like to thank Judith and Emma for all the hours they have put in, voluntarily, to organise the two-day Christmas event. We’re delighted to be able to offer visitors the opportunity to do all their Christmas shopping whilst enjoying the festive atmosphere.”

Follow Pembrokeshire County Show’s Christmas Fair event page on Facebook for a full list of stallholders in the run up to the event.

Community

Officials announced for 2026 Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire

Published

15 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD returns to Pembrokeshire in 2026, and organisers have named the officials who will steer this major cultural event over the next year and a half.

With the artistic and local committees already established, meetings to finalise competitions and adjudicators are underway to ensure the List of Competitions is ready by spring. Committee members have also been voting over the past weeks to elect key officials for the Executive Committee.

John Davies, former leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, has been appointed Chair of the Executive Committee. Known for his deep connection to Pembrokeshire and extensive experience with national organisations, Davies aims to make the Eisteddfod a true community event, welcoming involvement from all corners of the region.

Tegryn Jones, Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, takes on the role of Deputy Chair (Strategy). With a strong passion for Welsh culture and language, Jones brings a wealth of experience working with local communities, visitors, and volunteers across three counties.

Deputy Chair (Culture) is Carys Ifan, Director of Canolfan Egin and a seasoned cultural organiser. Based in Llangrannog and originally from Llandudoch, Ifan has led numerous artistic and community projects across the region.

Cris Tomos, a community development veteran with over 30 years of experience, will lead the 2026 Eisteddfod Local Fund. Working with PLANED, a community development charity, Tomos has supported countless community enterprises and co-operatives in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire.

Non Davies, recently elected as Executive Committee Secretary, brings extensive cultural management expertise as Ceredigion County Council’s Corporate Manager for Culture. Having chaired the Cardigan Local Fund Committee for the 2022 Ceredigion Eisteddfod, Davies is well-versed in managing cultural projects.

National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Betsan Moses, said: “We’re looking forward to working with John and the team over the next few months as we prepare for the 2026 Eisteddfod.

“There’s almost a quarter of a century since the Eisteddfod was last held in Pembrokeshire, and we’re very much looking forward to returning to the area. 2026 is an important year for us as we celebrate 850 years since the first Eisteddfod was held in Cardigan Castle in 1176.

“We’re looking forward to working in a new way within a catchment area which includes parts of another two counties, which is, of course, a chance to work with local people in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire again.”

Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks, including the sale of competition prizes and opportunities to donate the Crown and the Chair.

The National Eisteddfod will be held in Llantood from August 1–8, 2026.