Eighteen council staff suspended

A TOTAL of 18 Edinburgh City Council staff have now been suspended as an investigation continues into the authority’s statutory repairs system.

Three workers were suspended last week while a fourth was suspended from his post at the end of August.

A progress report into the findings of independent auditor Deloitte will be presented to a full meeting of the council next month.

It is understood that a fraud unit from Lothian and Borders Police is also examining allegations of corruption within the council’s property conservation department.

Councillor Ewan Aitken said: “I hope we see all the evidence in the report in October. With every further suspension more serious questions are being asked.”

It is alleged that certain contractors had too close a relationship with council staff who were responsible for handing out statutory notices for building works such as major roof repairs.

Because of the age of the tenement-style private housing in the city centre, communal repairs can be complex and expensive business and often the council has to enforce repairs to be carried out.

However, residents complained original estimates spiralled out of control and that some work carried out by the council’s favoured contractors was of poor quality.

A number of home-owners are considering legal action against the council and a Facebook Group Edinburgh Residents for Statutory Notice Reform has more than 100 members.

A council spokesman said it would not comment while the investigation was still going on.