WRAGGE HEAD Accountants Grant Thornton
have been interviewing councillors and officers in Doncaster, gathering evidence
in the “misconduct” case against director Susan Law (Eye 1169). Ms Law’s real offence was
to call in police to investigate allegations of corruption surrounding Mayor
Martin Winter’s pet regeneration project, the Glass Park – but her accusers
are concentrating on more heinous crimes, such as “the cancellation of the
civic ball” and an allegation that Law could not always be relied on to say
“Hello” in the corridor. The council is receiving legal advice from solicitor Mark Greenburgh of Wragge and Co. In 2003 he advised Lincolnshire’s Tory leader Ian Croft on how to get rid of chief executive David Bowles as revenge for Bowles blowing the whistle on Croft’s corrupt predecessor Jim Speechley (Eyes passim). Greenburgh’s advice ended up costing the taxpayer more than £580,000, including a £400,000 payoff for Bowles and Wragge’s bill for £168,000. Oh, and Croft had to resign in disgrace. There may be a lesson there for Mayor Winter, but we’re darned if we can see it! Private Eye No 1172 24th November 2006
RICHES TO WRAGGES
(cont.) Will
solicitor Mark Greenburgh’s attempt to prove a “misconduct” case against
Doncaster council’s managing director Susan Law prove to be third time unlucky
for his firm, Wragge & Co? Wragges
has been hired to stand up allegations of “bullying” against Ms Law, who has
barely been in the job two years. Her supporters claim the real motive behind
the move to get rid of her is Mayor Martin Winter’s annoyance at the fact that
she called in Knacker to investigate allegations of corruption surrounding
Winter’s pet regeneration project, the Glass Park (Eyes passin). Eye
1172 recalled how in 2003 Wragges ran up a bill of £168,000 in an attempt to
make a case against another whistle blowing chief executive, David Bowles, at
Tory Lincolnshire county council. He eventually left with £400,000 payoff. The
affair cost the taxpayer more than £580,000 and council leader Ian Croft his
job. Wragges’
most recent triumph was in north-east Derbyshire last year. In February 2005 the
Labour council’s leader, David Nuttall, was bared from holding public office
for three years after a Standards Board investigation found he bullied staff and
interfered in wage negotiations so as to confer an “improper advantage” on
his son, who worked for the council (Eye 1127). Because the chief
executive, Carol Gilby, had given evidence against Nuttall, councilors sought
revenge by accusing her of incompetence and “misconduct”. Wragges’ Mark
Greenburgh headed the case against her. Tim Kerr QC was appointed at a cost of
£93,000 to adjudicate. His report concluded that Wragges’ evidence was
“surprisingly weak” and there was no evidence of wrongdoing by Ms Gilby, who
should be reinstated. By this stage the attempted chief execicide had cost the
council £633,000, including Wragges’ fee of £284,931. But then Ms Gilby
decided she didn’t want her job back after all, and received a £350,00
payoff. By the time the council had spent £50,000 looking for a replacement, the
total bill picked up by the taxpayer came to £1,033,167 and 10p. Come
on, Donny – you can top that!
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