News

Audit Wales report into council chief’s £95,000 payoff expected this autumn

Published

3 years ago

July 13, 2021

AUDIT WALES’ investigation into a council pay-off to its outgoing chief executive Ian Westley will probably be concluded by Autumn, Pembrokeshire County Council have been told.

The update into the probe was given to councillors at the Governance and Audit Committee meeting on Tuesday (Jul 13).

The former council chief was paid a controversial £95,000 when he left the authority in November last year, and as The Herald has previously reported, the payment is now under investigation.

The scope of the investigation was the governance and decision-making arrangements relating to the chief executive’s departure, with a timetable of November 2020 – Summer/Autumn 2021.

Council director of finance Jon Haswell told the meeting: “The authority’s response to Audit Wales on financial audit questions which in relation to awareness on non-compliance references the ongoing review into the lawfulness of the settlement agreement.”

Committee member Martin Veale said it was “disappointing that such an investigation was being held;”

“There obviously is some doubt that the process was a good and proper process; such matters should be done with crystal clear process.”

The report by Audit Wales into the departure of former CEO Ian Westley is very likely to contain criticism of senior council officers.

In November 2020, Mr Westley left Pembrokeshire County Council with a £95,000 pay-out, something which has been criticised by a number of councillors.

In a document before the Audit and Governance Committee on Tuesday (April 13), it says that termination payments to Chief Officers are routinely examined by Audit Wales but in the case of Mr Westley, the audit team was unable to locate a recorded decision to enter into the settlement agreement which led to a termination payment being made to the Chief Executive.

An Audit Office spokesperson said: “This appeared unusual and therefore the audit team decided to undertake an early examination of the process that resulted in the payment being made.”

No complaints were raised by councillors or any other body with Audit Wales, but the number of concerns and questions being raised at following council meetings prompted them to commence an audit.

It is understood that only a handful of senior officers were involved in the procedure surrounding Ian Westley’s departure.

The report by Audit Wales is likely to focus on their involvement and has said that anybody named in its report will be given an extract of it to check its accuracy.

That process is known as Maxwellisation, a legal practice that allows persons who are to be criticised in an official report to respond prior to publication.

It is clearly an exceptional case as Audit Wales said it had to take some external legal advice due to the complex nature of some of the issues in its report.

Audit Wales has completed its work but is currently considering its legal advice before publishing its findings and conclusions.

That will be published in the near future, once those identified in the report have had a chance to read it and confirm its factual accuracy.

The council’s interim Chief Executive will then get the chance to read the documents to identify any remaining factual inaccuracies.

It is also likely that the council’s newly appointed Chief Executive, Will Bramble, will have a chance to see it.

The spokesperson added: “We are unable to provide a definitive timetable for reporting because it will depend on the responses we receive within the clearance process. We are unable to respond to queries about our emerging findings whilst the audit is progressing, and until we have finalised our conclusions.”

In January, Cllr Jamie Adams had called for the council to commence an internal investigation into Mr Westley’s departure but that was deferred to allow for the Audit Wales review to be completed.

Cllr Adams said that the decision of payment should have been a ‘democratic decision’ and has asked why that wasn’t the case.

Crime

Unanimous verdict in Ceredigion sexual assault case

Published

17 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A CEREDIGION man has been convicted to three years and six months in prison for sexually assaulting a woman in her own bed after the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict.

27-year-old Suroj Bk, from Llangrannog, was sentenced this week following a week-long trial at Swansea Crown Court (May 1).

On 7 October 2023, Dyfed-Powys Police received a report that Bk entered the victim’s home and sexually assaulted her while she lay in her bed.

When the victim realised what was happening, she kicked Bk out of her bed and called the police.

Upon receiving the report, officers quickly attended the victim’s home and conducted a thorough search of the surrounding area using police dogs and scenes of crime officers.

Evidence gathered from scene, together with extensive local enquiries, led officers to arrest Suroj Bk the next day (8 October).

While Bk was in custody, detectives, crime scene investigators, and digital forensic officers worked tirelessly to uncover the evidence that ultimately placed Suroj Bk at the scene.

After hearing the evidence, the jury took less than two hours to agree a unanimous guilty verdict.

The detective in charge of the case has praised the victim for her ‘tremendous courage’ in reporting the assault to police.

“Incidents of this nature are thankfully very rare within Ceredigion, and I’d like to reassure the community that this was an isolated incident, and that the identification and arrest of suspect was done quickly and efficiently,” said Detective Inspector Sam Gregory.

“The victim in this case demonstrated tremendous courage in reporting to police, and while this investigation was not straightforward in its nature, it was through the expertise and tenacity of forensic officers, working together with the investigation team, and the victim, that led to this successful prosecution.

“I hope the sentence given to Suroj Bk sends a clear and strong message that Dyfed-Powys Police takes reports of sexual offences seriously.

“We will listen to you, and we will work tirelessly to get justice.”

On Wednesday, 1 May 2024, Saroj Bk was sentenced to three years and six months in prison and a five-year restraining order, and he will be on the sex offenders register for life.

If you have been a victim of a crime such as this, report it to Dyfed-Powys Police either through a direct message on social media, online at: https://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.

In an emergency, always call 999.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.

News

Body recovered confirmed to be Luke Stephenson, say police

Published

17 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Tom Sinclair

DYFED-POWYS police have said today that the body found on Wednesday, May 1, has been confirmed to be Luke Stephenson, who was reported missing from the Pembroke Dock area on April 14.

A spokesperson for the force said: “We will continue to support the family and will assist with issuing a tribute publicly if the family wish to do so.”

In a statement, his family said: “Luke was a joyful and funny young man and always wanted to help others. He was a loving son, brother, grandson and uncle, and will be forever missed.
“We have lost a huge part of our family, and our loss is shared by his many friends who also loved him dearly.
“We would like to thank the local community for the overwhelming support we have received.”

Business

Port of Milford Haven now official ‘a great place to work’

Published

20 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE PORT of Milford Haven has been officially accredited as a Great Place to Work-Certified™ organisation. As the first Port Authority in Britain to secure this Certification™, it is a significant achievement.

“We are very proud to be Great Place to Work-Certified™,” said Vidette Swales, HR Director at the Port of Milford Haven. “It means so much that our employees have reported a consistently positive experience with their colleagues, their leaders and their jobs. Offering a positive employee experience is not only beneficial for the people who work with us but is also key for our continued business success.”

Tom Sawyer, CEO at the Port of Milford Haven added: “Our team is operating the UK’s leading energy port, and it is of the utmost importance that we do that safely, responsibly and effectively. We’re striving for excellence and aim to provide a world class service to our customers as well as supporting sustainable coastal communities for the prosperity of future generations. Our employees are clearly at the centre of this which is why I’m delighted that they feel supported in their role. I’m especially proud that this Certification™ demonstrates our core values of Safety, Excellence, Collaboration and Sustainability so perfectly.”

“We congratulate the Port of Milford Haven on achieving their Certification™,” said Benedict Gautrey, Managing Director of Great Place to Work® UK. “Organisations which put the employee experience at the heart of their business gain their employees’ trust and, in turn, are truly able to build a great workplace culture that delivers outstanding business results.”