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| More than £50,000 spent
on failed case |
Opposition leader shocked exact
cost is still hidden
AT least £50,000 was spent on the failed investigation
into the leader of Westminster’s Labour opposition group, it
was revealed this week.
But the Standards Board still insists it is unable to calculate
exactly how much public money was used on the case.
The West End Extra submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request
after Standards Board officials claimed to be unable to say how
much the 18-month investigation into Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg
cost.
Cllr Dimoldenberg was reported to the board after leaking papers
to the BBC revealing Westminster Council’s “go-slow”
in their pursuit of the £42 million surcharge owed by disgraced
former leader Dame Shirley Porter for her part in the Homes for
Votes scandal.
But he was sensationally cleared of bringing the council into disrepute
after successfully arguing that he had acted in the public interest.
Standards Board fees are paid from the public purse and councils
do not have to stump up a penny. Those accused, on the other hand,
have to defend themselves.
When first asked the Standards Board said putting a price to an
individual case was not “something they could quantify”,
triggering the West End Extra’s FOI request. We asked for the
costs of the fees of prosecuting barristers Heather Rogers and Anthony
White QC.
The letter from the Standards Board principal legal advisor Storm
Westmaas admits £50,000 was spent on external barristers in
the case but adds that this figure “is approximate because,
at the time of writing, one bill has yet to be finalised”.
But Mr Westmaas insists that the board is still unable to know how
much money was spent.
He wrote that “the board has only recently introduced a time
recording system and we are currently developing a more robust system
for costing individual cases.
“We are unable to give precise costs for any one investigation.”
He added: “Our current estimate, on a case-by-case basis, of
the cost to the board of investigating an allegation of a breach
of the Code of Conduct by members of relevant authorities lies at
around £5,000.”
Cllr Dimoldenberg said: “It is astounding that the Standards
Board investigation didn’t record the amount spent on each
investigation.
“Everyone working in the private sector and most of the public
sector has to say where money is spent.” |
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