Thursday, September 26, 2013
Council criticised for 'unlawful' payments
The BBC report that the Wales Audit Office has branded a pledge by Carmarthenshire council to cover the court costs of its chief executive fighting a libel case against a blogger as unlawful.
They say that the authority was wrong to provide indemnity in Mark James's libel action against Jacqui Thompson. He won the case and Mrs Thompson was ordered to pay costs of £23,217.
The BBC add that in a separate issue, the auditor's report found that a council payment of £16,353 in lieu of pension contributions to Mr James was also unlawful. The Council say that both decisions were made following legal advice.
Carmarthenshire Council has been at the centre of controversy since Councillors ejected Mrs Thompson from a meeting for trying to record proceedings.
The way that the Council has handled this whole affair has been a public relations disaster from start to finish. These latest claims do not help.
They say that the authority was wrong to provide indemnity in Mark James's libel action against Jacqui Thompson. He won the case and Mrs Thompson was ordered to pay costs of £23,217.
The BBC add that in a separate issue, the auditor's report found that a council payment of £16,353 in lieu of pension contributions to Mr James was also unlawful. The Council say that both decisions were made following legal advice.
Carmarthenshire Council has been at the centre of controversy since Councillors ejected Mrs Thompson from a meeting for trying to record proceedings.
The way that the Council has handled this whole affair has been a public relations disaster from start to finish. These latest claims do not help.
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and yet Carmarthenshire CC seem to win every year at the annual CIPR Cymru awards. Strange, innit?
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: 9:17 AM
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