Worker is sacked after fraud probe

AN EDINBURGH City Council officer has been sacked as part of a £30 million local government probe into allegations of corruption, mismanagement and fraud.

The senior member of staff was caught asking a council repairs contractor for money towards a holiday.

Police and external auditors have been investigating claims employees from the local authority’s repair service for urgent work, the Property Conservation division, diverted building repair jobs to favoured contractors and accepted bribes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

So far this has led to the sackings of seven staff and the on-going suspension of another 13.

The external companies that carried out the repairs have faced accusations of grossly overcharging homeowners for bogus or sloppy work.

The staff member, who was coming up for retirement, asked the unnamed firm for a four-figure sum after the corruption probe began. He is believed to have requested the loan after being short of funds for a holiday. The company, which did not hand over the money, raised the alarm with the council.

Mark Turley, the council’s director of services for communities, said: “This is one example and illustrates how seriously we are taking this matter.”